POUGHKEEPSIE — Mayor Yvonne Flowers delivered her 2026 State of the City address Thursday night at Poughkeepsie High School.  Touting the city’s success in many areas, she emphasized the city’s youth initiatives, first responders, and upgrades to public infrastructure. She noted that the police department recorded a historic low in community complaints and saw a double-digit decrease in crime.

Flowers credited her predecessors, former Mayors Rob Rolison and Marc Nelson, for laying the groundwork for recent successes.
She announced that the Parks and Recreation Department will separate from the Department of Public Works and become its own entity, led by Brian Laffin. The department will continue work on the city’s 22 parks, with the rehabilitation of the Spratt Park Pool House expected to be completed soon.

Flowers also praised the city’s fiscal stability, attributing the solid financial foundation to the efforts of Rolison and Nelson.

Addressing controversy over the homeless shelter on Oakley Street, Flowers criticized Dutchess County’s development of the Justice and Transition Center, saying it has led to declining property values and quality of life concerns in the neighborhood. She said the expansion of the county jail and the relocation of the temporary housing shelter have affected the area negatively. “The county has sites in our city that are not included in our tax base, and not all have a positive impact on our city,” Flowers said. “The question is, when does it end?”

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Flowers said the city will continue its legal battle against the placement of the Oakley Street shelter on the north side, arguing it would worsen poverty and strain the community. She also announced additional infrastructure improvements, including repairs to local bridges and replacing aging sewage pipes.

Flowers concluded her address with an optimistic outlook. “There is no limit to what this city can achieve. And this city’s best days are still ahead,” she said.


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