CARMEL – The 2026 general election is still 11 months away yet Carmel Councilman Robert Kearns has tossed his hat into the ring to seek Putnam County’s largest township’s chief executive official.
Kearns called it “an honor serving the people of Carmel. I am running for supervisor because our town needs leadership that plans ahead, manages responsibly, and delivers results. Too often, government reacts to problems it knew were coming. I believe Carmel deserves proactive leadership that respects taxpayers and gets projects done.”
Kearns described himself as “one of the most accessible elected officials in Putnam County, who regularly hosts forums in addition to maintaining communication with residents throughout the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac.”
He said he listened to residents when opposing the original Carmel Water 2 proposal, a project estimated at $28 million that would have significantly increased water taxes for roughly 2,100 households. “By pushing the project out to bid, we identified a responsible alternative that reduced the cost to $13.8 million saving taxpayers nearly $15 million. That outcome came from listening, asking tough questions, and applying real-world project management experience.”
Kearns also played a key role in advancing the town’s master plan to completion, moving the long- stalled Swan Cove project toward bidding, and advocating for completion of the community and recreation center, a project the town spent $250,000 to design.
Calling the supervisor the “daily manager of town government,” Kearns said if elected he will push for long-term capital planning to “prevent
sudden tax increases, modernizing town operations through technology and transparency, advancing sewer infrastructure along Route 6 to support responsible development, and restoring professionalism and accountability within Town Hall.”
Kearns said he would be “present, engaged, and focused on ensuring our employees have the tools they need to succeed and our residents receive the service they deserve.”
Carmel’s current Supervisor Michael Cazzari who was reelected by a wide margin in November, is expected to seek reelection again next fall as a result to changes made to New York’s local election cycle that will trigger another election.
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