Action Alert: Youth Funding in PK

In the past, the city has spent little to nothing (yes, $0) on youth programming, demonstrating an utter unwillingness to engage with the community on this issue. When an effectively non-existent piece of the pie is offered to address an issue, the conversation surrounding it will inherently be non-existent. We fully recognize that specifics on how any amount of funding will be spent are critical, but at the same time we hope everyone can understand that it will take a significant financial commitment from our elected officials, a tangible amount of ownership of this city and its future by the community, for our community to become engaged in such conversations. We must demand this investment and demand that this conversation begin in earnest if we want to change the conditions we set for our young people to live and grow within.

Although more funding has been allocated in the Preliminary 2022 budget, the total amount is only one half of 1% of the $103.9 million dollar City of Poughkeepsie budget:

2% to 3% of the budget would be about $2 to $3 million dollars. There is another $1.3 million dollars of unallocated American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds that could go to help our youth:

  • $400,000 Ward Specific Funding for the Common Council

  • $894,610 Unallocated or Additional Community Funding

Steps to Take Action

  1. Sign our petition, which received over 100 signatures within 24 hours and for which we seek 1,000 signatures by December 1st, 2021.

  2. Click here to voice your support in an email to the city’s elected leadership! Help our youth by emailing members of the common council, the mayor and other city officials to ask them to commit 2% to 3% of the 2022 budget to youth programs!

  3. Speak out at public meetings on the budget such as the Common Council meeting on December 6th at 6:30PM. Speak your mind on youth funding in this city, and ask for transparency in the allocation and use of all funding.