It’s time to root for the home team (who’s now out $9.5M)

Home opener for the “Baby Bombers” this Tuesday; county to reallocate funds for stadium upgrades

by niki@hvny.info

The New York Yankees’ High-A affiliate team, our very own Hudson Valley Renegades, will take the field at The Dutch in Wappingers Falls for their home opener this Tuesday, April 19. Prior to the first pitch, the Town of Fishkill Board will present a Proclamation to the team, naming April 19, 2022 “Hudson Valley Renegades Day” in the Town of Fishkill.

The reigning division champs are starting out with a 4-5 record, but look to even things up during Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Gates open at 6:05pm, with the first pitch set for 7:05pm. The first 1,000 fans will receive a 2021 High-A East North Division Championship pennant. For tickets and more information, visit hvrenegades.com.

But as they take the field for their second season as an affiliate team for the New York Yankees, the Renegades won’t yet have Yankees-level funding, like $8.4 million for a new club house, $2.9 million for a new club space and bullpen, or $975K for a new pitching/batting facility. At a meeting earlier this month with county legislators, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced that the county would ultimately not be using American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for upgrades at the stadium.

“Because of inflation, the stadium project will be appropriately delayed,” Molinaro said during the April 7 meeting. “We are allocating $9.5 million of ARP dollars away from our park project and will dedicate it entirely to housing availability.”

Who to watch: Shortstop and Yankees first round draft pick Trey Sweeney, plus TJ Rumfield, playing first and starting the season with a .412 batting average with two homers and 10 RBIs. Centerfielder Everyone Pereira, who has scored 12 runs with 14 hits for an on base percentage of .500. See who’s on the move from the Yankees affiliates: https://www.milb.com/hudson-valley/roster/transactions/new-york-yankees

Of the $57,148,397 allotted to Dutchess County by the American Rescue Plan, $12.5 million was initially slated for Dutchess Stadium, touted as “necessary to meet MLB standards and allow the Hudson Valley Renegades to continue their affiliation with the New York Yankees.” On June 14, 2021, the Dutchess County Legislature approved $11.6 million of ARP funds for the financing of Phase II construction of Dutchess Stadium and $630,000 for the purchase of land from Beacon City School District.

On March 31, Dutchess County Comptroller Robin Lois released a special report on the county’s use of ARP funds, saying: "Investment in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure is surprisingly low at $1.7 million, particularly compared to the Stadium spending at $12.2 million."

But it was during a meeting with county legislators on April 7, that Molinaro, who is currently campaigning for a seat in Congress, discussed plans to shift $9.5 million to increasing housing availability. Part of the plan Molinaro introduced includes an emergency shelter that will provide housing for 120 people in Poughkeepsie with “supportive treatments” outside the area.

When asked by county legislator Giancarlo Llaverias why the county couldn’t invest the AAP funds allocated for the stadium upgrades to the homeless shelter, Molinaro said it was a “brilliant idea – that’s why last Friday, we already made that determination” to reallocate $9.5 million to housing.

Video of the legislature meeting in reference beginning at 1:16:51 – https://totalwebcasting.com/view/?func=VIEW&id=dutchess&date=2022-04-07&seq=1

“Even if our residents weren’t struggling with skyrocketing inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic, the stadium should not be the county government’s top priority. ”

— Dutchess County Minority Leader Yvette Valdés Smith