2019 Candidate Profile: Rob Rolison For Mayor

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — The Hudson Valley will have several contested races in this fall's election, including the race for Poughkeepsie mayor. Mid-Hudson Valley Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Rob Rolison, 61, is running for re-election as mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie. His opponent is Democrat Joash Ward.

Rolison is a Republican who has been mayor since 2016. He is a retired Town of Poughkeepsie police officer, with 26 years of service. Rolison, who is married with one son, is a former Dutchess County legislator who represented the city and town of Poughkeepsie from 2003 to 2015. He was chairman of the legislature from 2010 to 2015.

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

Public safety should be the number one priority of any government. Since I became mayor, violent crime has dropped dramatically, a 50 percent reduction since 2016. We have created a retention program for police officers, re-instituted community policing, placed a resource officer in the schools and are implementing Procedural Justice practices, with more to come.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

I have considerable experience and a proven track record of accomplishments.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Youth services are critically important. Since I have been mayor, we have created a youth services grant program and have allocated over $350,000 since 2018. I just included another $180,000 to this program in my 2020 budget. The city also has taken ownership of the former YMCA site. We have held several public meetings and now have two proposals on the table that are being considered. I do want to emphasize that during this open process, city residents have made it clear they want a community-oriented facility at that site, and we are committed to that.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The city was in dire financial condition before I became mayor. We stabilized the budget, have had three years of budget surpluses and have started to close a huge budget deficit. We also have bolstered the city's workforce so they can provide the necessary help and services to residents. We created a city Public Arts Commission to foster the arts in our community, and have made significant repairs and renovations to the city's infrastructure. The city is seeing an economic recovery, and both the housing and commercial real estate interests in the city are stronger.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

From my mom and dad, be respectful of others. Not everyone is going to share your voices or have the same opinion. From my dad, as a public servant, I learned that you represent everyone.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

That I care deeply about this city and everyone who lives or visits it. In the time I have been mayor, that sentiment has been conveyed continuously to the 354 city employees, and I believe they carry out their work with this in mind.