CARMEL – Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne’s proposed $229 million budget for next year, a fiscal spending plan that would reduce the property tax levy from $45.2 million to $38.7 million, or $6.5 million, a reduction of more than 14 percent, was the subject of a public hearing Monday evening before members of the county legislature.
For the past two and one-half weeks, the nine-member governing body has been reviewing the fiscal spending plan, line by line, and on Wednesday is expected to adopt the budget following a special meeting.
During the hearing attended by seven of the lawmakers, Legislators William Gouldman of Putnam Valley and Erin Lee Crowley of Mahopac were absent, 10 residents addressed the body of elected officials.
Requests focused on after-school activities for children and the Depot Theater in Garrison.
Cathy Percacciolo, a four-decade long employee of the Putnam Health Department, called on the lawmakers to fully fund the Supervising Public Health Nurse position.
Martha Elder, executive director of Second Chance Foods, noted that her agency operates on a $2.3 million budget. “We work daily to make sure that food is equally distributed throughout our county,” she said, reminding the legislators that Putnam was facing severe food insecurity.
Cassandra Roth, chairperson of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District, told the legislators that their action by creating the district “strengthens the district’s ability to work directly with private landowners and the agricultural community by expanding outreach, technical assistance, and conservation programming that supports working farms, lake districts, and watershed protection efforts.”
As part of the hearing, the legislators also set their compensation for 2027 at $49,618 while the chairperson will receive an added $12,405.
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