CARMEL – A proposal to formally codify government transparency practices into Putnam County has been voted down by four members of the County Legislature, a decision that supporters say leaves key public access measures vulnerable to future political changes.
The legislation, known as the Taxpayer Transparency Act and introduced by Legislator Laura Russo (R-Patterson), would have required the continued livestreaming of legislative meetings and the maintenance of a public-facing budget transparency website; both practices currently in place but not guaranteed under local law.
“This is about locking in basic transparency for future legislatures and standards that taxpayers should be able to rely on, no matter who is in office,” said Russo.
Supporters, including Deputy Chairman Bill Gouldman (R-Putnam Valley) and Legislator Jacob D’Angelo (R-Carmel) argued that codifying these measures was a straightforward way to ensure long-term accountability and prevent any future rollback of public access.
Despite that, Legislators Amy Sayegh (R-Mahopac), Nancy Montgomery (D-Philipstown), Toni Addonizio (R-Kent), and Tommy Regan (R-Southeast) voted against the measure.
Sayegh characterized the proposal as unnecessary, pointing out that livestreaming is already practiced and describing the bill as something that could serve as “a point on a political palm card.” Supporters of the measure viewed that comment as an acknowledgment that the legislation’s merits were being weighed against political considerations rather than policy need.
Montgomery, who has frequently positioned herself as a proponent of open government, also opposed the measure based on perceived origins of the legislation and stated transparency “is codified when I take my oath of office.”
Both Montgomery and Sayegh suggested the proposal was derived from nearly identical model legislation by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); a non-profit think tank with ties to conservative legislators and private sector representatives from across the country.
However, a review of ALEC’s website shows that its extremely similar version of the Taxpayer Transparency Act was introduced on November 29, 2023, months after the Putnam County proposal was first circulated.
Following an inquiry, the County Executive’s office provided a written memo outlining nearly identical language that was given to the Legislature in March 2023, following Kevin Byrne’s State of the County Address. That timeline indicates the Putnam proposal predated and likely informed the model policy.
Gouldman and D’Angelo, who voted in favor of the measure, countered that while principles may be implied, enforceable standards are what ensure consistency. Without codification, they argued, practices like livestreaming and access to budgeting information remain subject to change at the discretion of future legislative leadership.
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