Dutchess Legislators Super Majority GOP Spends instead of Addressing Consolidation of Services

On July 9, 2011, By James R

Dutchess lawmakers take first step to build medical examiner’s facilities

POUGHKEEPSIE – With the Dutchess County medical examiner having to use loaned hospital space for procedures, the county legislature took the first step toward building a full scale facility for the office.

Lawmakers in committee Thursday voted to issue $4.3 million in bonds to pay for part of the cost to buy the property and building at 170 Washington Street in Poughkeepsie and build a 5,000 square foot addition on it for the medical examiner. The building, which the county leases at present, is used for records storage.

Democratic Minority Leader Sandra Goldberg said before the county expends that kind of money, it should look at other space options.

“Whether it is the armory, whether it’s the psychiatric center; before we purchase this and take it off the tax rolls, I think we should be looking at some other things,” Goldberg said.

Conservative Legislator James Doxsey suggested the county conduct a study into sharing services with other counties.

Republican Deputy Majority Angela Flesland said building adequate medical examiner facilities is long overdue.

“This is certainly not something that is being rushed. This is something that we needed to do a long time ago and did not,” Flesland said.

Republican legislator Dale Borchert told his colleagues that the county will soon have to pay rent on the current hospital facilities not to mention the rent it is paying for records storage in the Washington Street building.

2 Responses to “Dutchess Legislators Super Majority GOP Spends instead of Addressing Consolidation of Services”

James R says:

July 9, 2011 at 9:43 am

All I can say is this is what the people voted for in 2009? Spending is far out of control, not even a consideration to Consolidate Services as an option? Let’s not forget this is only a PART of the Funding for this Property
James R says:

July 10, 2011 at 1:46 pm

Thanks Dave, As you can see from votes, as you say a Tax and Spend County Executive and Legislators who just vote ” Yes ” because their particular party does is plain ignorance. Daves response is below:

Dave wrote: “Just look at the votes of the leadership and members of the current County Legislature on all the bonds the tax and spend County Executive sends over. The legislature passes the without even understanding what they are approving. So look at the County’s debt service- look at current budget then look at debt service five and ten years ago- and you will see the County’s debt is exploding.”