Dear Legislator Arnoff

Dear Legislator Arnoff,

I am writing regarding the vote scheduled for Monday on the proposal to eliminate the long-standing two-thirds requirement for accessing Dutchess County’s reserve and contingency funds.

This is not a minor procedural adjustment. It is a structural change to one of the key fiscal safeguards protecting taxpayers.

For years, requiring a supermajority before tapping reserve funds ensured that major financial decisions reflected broad agreement across the Legislature. It required collaboration. It forced discussion. It ensured that when we reached into the County’s financial safety net, it was done thoughtfully and with consensus.

Reserve funds are not routine operating dollars. They are the County’s fiscal backstop — intended for emergencies, downturns, and true contingencies. The higher voting threshold recognized that accessing those funds should require more than a simple majority.

Lowering that threshold changes the culture of decision-making. It shifts power to whichever party holds a narrow majority at any given time and removes the built-in requirement for bipartisan cooperation. While today’s majority may feel comfortable with that authority, the precedent set now will govern future Legislatures as well.

Institutional safeguards exist to protect taxpayers regardless of which party is in power. Once lowered, such standards are rarely restored.

I respectfully ask that you vote to preserve the two-thirds requirement. Maintaining this safeguard protects transparency, encourages collaboration, and reinforces public confidence that reserve funds will only be used with broad legislative support.

This vote is about more than rules — it is about the long-term integrity of fiscal governance in Dutchess County.

Thank you for your consideration.

Ed Kowalski