Putnam Executive Says County Government Works for Residents

Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne delivers his State of the County address March 2 at the Joe Palumbo Soccer Academy in Putnam Valley. Photo by Chloe Wareham-Gordon.

By Holly Crocco

A more affordable, accountable, and accessible county government that serves every resident was lauded by Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne during his State of the County address March 2 at the Joe Palumbo Soccer Academy in Putnam Valley.

“From day one of this administration, we committed ourselves to (that) simple but powerful mandate,” he said. “Because when I said we were going to make Putnam County more affordable, I meant it… and year after year, this administration backs it up with action.”

His first example was the $1 million reduction in the county’s property tax levy that was realized in this year’s budget, in partnership with the County Legislature, which resulted in a property tax rate of $2.39 – the lowest it has been in nearly 20 years.

“Since taking office, through targeted sales tax exemptions and property tax cuts, we have effectively delivered over $10 million in tax relief,” he said. “Show me another municipality in this state that can make that claim.”

In addition, the administration decided to limit borrowing and aggressively pay down long-term debt – reducing that debt from more than $51 million to a projected $21.6 million by the end of this year (a 58 percent reduction).

“What that means is simple – fewer interest payments, less pressure on future budgets, and no passing the bill on to the next generation of taxpayers,” said Byrne.

The county has also maintained a healthy Property Tax Stabilization Fund and preserved its AA1 bond rating from Moody’s Investment Services.

“And then there is what I believe will be remembered as one of the most important agreements for the long-term financial future of Putnam County… our historic sales-tax revenue-sharing agreement with every town and village,” said the county executive. “Without that agreement, our county’s sales tax rate would have defaulted to a dramatic 25 percent cut, and we would have lost more than $21 million in annual revenue… Instead, we came together and delivered $2.3 million in real revenue sharing for local tax relief and infrastructure.”

Seniors & Students

Byrne announced that just a week prior, after working with the County Legislature, he signed into law new legislation to expand the maximum property tax exemption for eligible seniors, from 50 percent to 65 percent of a home’s assessed value – an opportunity that was made possible because of a new state law.

Also, in September, the county opened the doors to a local, integrated early learning environment that provides preschool, specialized services for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“For years, too many of our youngest residents – some with the greatest needs – were spending hours on buses every single day, traveling outside the county just to receive the services they deserve,” he said. “But not only was it not fair for children, it wasn’t sustainable for taxpayers. The transportation of just a few dozen children was costing us over $1 million a year.”

Together with the health department, local non-profit Community Based Services, the Brewster and Carmel school districts, and the Legislature, the facility opened.

“The success here is real, which is why we’re committed to our plans for expansion,” said Byrne. “In the coming years, we’re going to increase the number of students at the early learning center, and we will expand our partnerships with other school districts to bring this program to more children and families that want it.”

Health & Transit

Through a new community paramedicine initiative, trained paramedics can visit residents in their homes to provide preventive care, wellness checks, post-discharge follow-ups, medication monitoring, and connections to long-term services.

“Everyone will benefit from better health outcomes for our residents and soon enough, we’ll have real savings for taxpayers,” said Byrne. “But perhaps more importantly, this program – the first county-wide community paramedicine program in NYS – gives dignity to some of our most vulnerable residents.”

The county also addressed transportation services this year, changing a fixed bus route in the Patterson area that ran on a rigid schedule with large vehicles that were often empty, to a system built around the rider. With Putnam On-Demand, residents can book a trip through an app or with a phone call and receive door-to-door service that connects them to jobs, medical appointments, shopping center, Metro-North stations, and county services.

Last year, Putnam On-Demand received the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress’ “Progress in Action” award – a regional honor given to initiatives that improve quality of life and drive innovation.

“We are now undertaking a countywide transit study to position Putnam for additional federal funding, because we know we need to find ways to expand micro-transit and para-transit services to other underserved areas of this county, specifically Putnam Valley and Philipstown,” said the county executive.

Infrastructure

Last year, for the first time, all nine of the county’s towns and villages joined Putnam in a formal public works shared services intermunicipal agreement to create a countywide framework to share equipment, personnel, and resources. Projects completed include the renovation of Peekskill Hollow Road and the Sprout Brook Road Bridge in Continental Village. Also, the Fair Street project in Carmel is moving forward on time and on budget, according to Byrne.

“I am proud to report, with the completion of these projects, Putnam County today has zero red-flag bridges, which is a direct result of the consistent investment, planning, and hard work of our Department of Public Works,” he said.

After deciding in this year’s budget to pay off the remaining bonds on the Putnam County Golf Course, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in future interest, the Department of General Services restructured the agreement and, now, one vendor manages both the golf course and the catering operations at the facility.

Additionally, the Fraud & Resource Recovery Unit, working with the law department and district attorney’s office, recovered more than $940,000 for taxpayers last year.

Over the past three years, upgrading and modernizing county facilities has been a priority for the administration – because employees and residents deserve safe, functional, and welcoming environments, said Byrne. This includes improvements to the board of elections, William Koehler Memorial Senior Center in Mahopac, and county office building in Carmel, as well as the new Department of Public Works garage on Route 6N and new DPW main construction hub on Fair Street.

Also, the new $1.5 million Lt. Michael Neuner Fire & EMS Training Center in Kent opened, providing a state-of-the-art facility where firefighters and EMS professionals from across Putnam can train together, and the Putnam County Youth Bureau moved into its new home at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster. Coming soon, the Youth Bureau will have a new neighbor, with the ongoing construction of a new home for Cornell Cooperative Extension at the farm.