Putnam County Exec Byrne Hosts First-Ever Budget Town Hall Forum

CARMEL, NY — In one Hudson Valley county, if residents want to know exactly where their tax dollars are being spent, then all they have to do is ask.

County Executive Kevin Byrne hosted the first-ever Putnam County Budget town hall forum last Wednesday night, which the county says was in a continued effort to increase transparency, accountability and accessibility for Putnam County residents.

With 25 people in attendance, Byrne was introduced by Carmel Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari. The county executive then gave an abbreviated budget presentation for about 15 minutes, followed by questions from residents who were in the audience and from those watching a livestream. Questions were asked about infrastructure, non-profit funding, the sales tax exemption of clothing & footwear, and more.

"Transparency in government is critical, and I’m committed to making our county's budget process as open and accessible as possible," Byrne said. "We’ve done a lot of constituent forums since I took office. We believe they are the best ways to have folks voices heard, ask questions, and for them to better understand where their tax dollars are going. It's another step in fulfilling my commitment to provide greater accountability to the people of Putnam."

The entire forum can be watched here.

"This budget continues our tax cuts from last year, continues the elimination of sales tax on regressive purchases, and slashes the property tax rate to its lowest level in 18 years," the county executive said.

Byrne’s full presentation, the new Budget Transparency Website, and additional relevant documents can be viewed here.