Meeting at Adriance Library, Poughkeepsie, 1 pm Saturday, February 24th!

Current Resolution:

RESPONSIBLE DUTCHESS COUNTY GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING, INVESTMENT, AND BANKING

WHEREAS, Dutchess County should formally declare itself to be a Welcoming County to create a more inclusive, receptive county environment for all local populations, and

WHEREAS, Dutchess County commits itself to protect, respect, and fulfill the full range of inherent human rights for all, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as drafted by Dutchess County's own Eleanor Roosevelt and numerous other international human rights instruments, and

WHEREAS, Dutchess County residents should be completely free from discrimination because of race, creed, national origin or ancestry, color, religion, gender or sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, marital status, age, physical condition or disability in connection with employment, housing, public accommodations, financial practices, and credit transactions; free to protect their interest in personal dignity and freedom from humiliation; free to make available to the County their full productive capacities in employment; to secure the County against domestic strife and unrest which would menace its democratic institutions; to preserve the public safety, health, and general welfare; and to further the interest, rights, and privileges within the County, and

WHEREAS, Dutchess County has pledged reward workplace diversity, promote local industry, protect the environment, and promote equity through compliance with civil rights, and

WHEREAS, consistent with its responsibilities to its residents, Dutchess County has social and ethical obligations to take steps to avoid contracting with or investing in corporations or banks whose practices egregiously contradict efforts to create a prosperous, educated, healthy and equitable society; many municipalities across our country have already done this, including Ithaca, Buffalo, Albany, and New York City here in our state, New Orleans, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Davis, and both Portland and Ashland in Oregon, and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature calls for Dutchess County to be a Welcoming County and encourages the creation of a process to review direct investments and contracts for inclusion on, or removal from, Dutchess County's list of corporate securities, contractual partners, and the banks with which Dutchess County does business, according to the values of Dutchess County as referenced in this resolution, and be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Dutchess County Executive and Dutchess County Finance Commissioner