Questions & Answers

Why does the Town need to do this?

In 1995 the Town located its Police/ Court facility in a former warehouse on an uncapped landfill on Tucker Drive. This happened during an era of corruption that resulted in the indictments of multiple Town officials and jail time for the Dutchess County Republican Party chairman. Today, tests indicate the building is structurally safe and has healthy air quality, but due to continued settling of landfill materials underneath, it is in poor condition and needs constant repairs. Rebuilding on the current site would cost far more than moving elsewhere.

Several past proposals, including one to relocate the Police & Courts facility to Boardman Road, have been unworkable due to location, safety, and traffic considerations. A concerted six-month effort by a citizens advisory committee identified the IBM 708 site as a potential location but it was ultimately rejected due to concerns about location, accessibility to Route 9, the very large size of the building, and complications in separating the property from IBM’s utilities and campus.

After assessment of other sites, the Town Board has determined that the best site for the Police & Courts Facility is 1 Overocker Road, through a renovation and addition to the current Town Hall building. This enables the Town to use a building it already owns, which will in any case soon need major renovations. The site is the best area for Police response and is near other public buildings. The Town’s Auto Center and Impound Lot are nearby, avoiding the expense of relocating them. A study that the board commissioned from LaBella Associates confirmed the feasibility of locating both Police and Courts at 1 Overocker–an important consideration--as long as the plan includes shared public parking with the Elks Lodge next door, which is now being finalized.

Confirming 1 Overocker as the best site for Police & Courts necessitates moving Town Hall. After a search of possible options for rental or sale, the Town was able to sign a letter of agreement with the Poughkeepsie Day School in December 2025 for a portion of their recently subdivided property. The Town is moving toward purchasing the school’s classroom building at 242 Boardman Road to house Town Hall.

The site offers opportunities for other Town Recreation and community uses since it has a gym, theater, kitchen, and sports fields, including indoor / outdoor space for the Town's summer camp. Unlike the current Town Hall, the site at 242 Boardman can generate revenue through rentals and fees to offset operational costs. The site also has an existing solar array which offsets $24,000 in annual electricity bills.

How much are repairs on current Town properties costing?

Over the past four years the Town has spent over $300,000 on repairs to the current Police/Courts building, due to continued sinking and shifting from the underlying landfill.

The current Town Hall is in fair-to-poor condition; only the upper level is (to some degree) disabled-accessible. Within 5-10 years the building will need roof, HVAC, and window replacements that will cost (in 2026 dollars) roughly $8 million. These repairs would be required even if there were no changes to building use. Conversion for the Police & Courts will cover these needed renovations.

How will the Town pay for these projects and what will the cost be?

Definitions: A bond resolution by the town board authorizes the town to bond at a later date for up to a particular amount. A bonding resolution is usually done before detailed design work so that design expenses are not incurred until the municipality has committed to the project. Because design is a preliminary stage, the bond resolution must use an estimate, and the best practice is to use a conservatively high estimate. The Town will actively work to make cost-effective choices during design with the goal of driving down construction costs so the ultimate bonding amount is lower.

Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) allow a municipality to bond for a one-year term at low interest until final costs are determined, at which stage long-term borrowing can be put in place. This prevents over-borrowing if costs come in lower. For both these projects the Town anticipates issuing BANs where appropriate–likely for the full cost of the Town Hall project until it is complete in early 2027, and for the design phase of the Police & Courts project.

Tentatively, the Town Board will vote on bond resolutions authorizing $46.2 million for the Police/Courts facility (including renovations and an addition) and $13.2 million for Town Hall (including purchase, roof and mechanical repairs, and retrofitting of classrooms to office space). These initial estimates incorporate all hard and soft costs including design, construction management, and legal fees; for the Police & Courts facility they include a 10% design contingency and 10% construction contingency.

Some costs will almost certainly be lower. For example, $2.3 million is budgeted for the worst-case scenario in potential roof replacement at 242 Boardman Road, which is the most expensive repair at that property. More testing will likely show that at least half the roof can be restored rather than replaced, but the roof needs to be clear of snow to be tested, and the winter of 2026 has so far made that impossible.

Will this affect the Town’s AA3 credit rating or financial outlook?

No. The Town is in good financial condition and has paid off most past debts. Guidance from the Town’s bond adviser indicates that the Town has room to borrow much more than this amount without impact on its credit rating or financial condition.

How will this affect my Town taxes?

There will be no impact in 2026. For 2027 and beyond, the cost will depend not only on final project costs but on what alternative sources of revenue the Town generates (see below), how bonds are structured, and what prevailing interest rates are when the bonds are issued,. The Town Board will work to have an estimate by late spring before bonding for the Police & Courts project.

What is the Town Board doing to reduce the cost to property taxpayers?

The board will seek, through the strategies below, to offset up to half the cost of the projects so that the cost to current property taxpayers is less.

Reduce the costs of both projects in 2026 and early 2027, during design stages, and in the case of the Town Hall project, through completion. Oversight committees will meet regularly with the design teams. Along with Supervisor Edwards, Town Board members Shershin and Reuter will take the lead for Police & Courts, and Sharpe and Watson for the Town Hall project.
Apply for grants to cover costs for both projects. The Town has compiled a list of multiple potential funding sources.
Thoroughly review the Town budget for expenses that can be cut in 2027 or beyond, without loss of revenue or services. The Budget Committee will take the lead with assistance from volunteers in the Citizens Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC).
Sell the current Police & Courts building (est. $4.5 million). This can be done when the Police & Courts have moved to their new building.
Sell vacant residential properties owned by the Town to raise capital funds and return them to the tax rolls. The Finance Committee will take the lead on this work.
Work with the Land Bank and other partners to get vacant and blighted properties into the hands of new homeowners and return them to the tax rolls. This will be coordinated through the Supervisor’s office in partnership with the Finance Committee, Citizens Committee on Housing Affordability, and other partners.
Seek other strategies for expanding the property tax base in 2027 and beyond, for example, tax revenue from the Champlain-Hudson Power Express (CHPE) which comes onto the tax rolls in 2027 and 2028.
Expand new revenue streams–including cannabis sales, hotel/motel bed tax, potential new cell tower revenue, and rental of spaces and sports fields at the new Town Hall site.