POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino presented her 2026 county budget Wednesday, saying the $651 million spending plan is all about putting people first. The budget is 3.3 percent higher than the county’s 2025 budget of $630 million.

The fiscal plan includes no cuts in services and no layoffs, with spending up by 1.8 percent.

Serino announced a tax increase on clothing and footwear as part of her budget presentation. Clothing and footwear are currently exempt from the county’s 4% sales tax but the budget proposal calls for the exemption to end on March 1, 2026.

“The Republican-led county government’s mismanagement of funds – including a luxury clubhouse at the baseball stadium, mind-boggling pay raises, and failed litigation against New York State – has necessitated thi

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