Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne has given his first State of the County Address to the Putnam Legislature and in it asked for $2 million to make needed repairs to county buildings, called for more transparency in government and said Putnam needs to become a constitutional county in which only laws that are in line with principles of the U.S. Constitution need to be followed.
Byrne, a Republican, had served three terms in the New York State Assembly before being elected as county executive. During his address, he proposed that the Putnam County Legislature pass what he labeled “The Taxpayer Transparency Act.”
“This county legislation would self-mandate that we provide the public with live video and audio streaming of all legislative public meetings,” Byrne said. “This will provide our residents who are incapable of attending for one reason or another with the most accurate and up-to-the-minute information on the hard work of their government representatives.”
Byrne also called for the establishment of a budget transparency website so that the public can more easily study the county’s existing and proposed budgets. He said the proposed website would explain the various budget items as well as presenting the raw numbers. He said he wants the new website up and running in about a year when he proposes the 2025 budget.
Byrne came out against the discharge of radioactive wastewater from the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant into the Hudson River as part of its shutdown and dismantling.
“Make no mistake; our county received tremendous economic and environmental net benefits when Indian Point was operational,” Byrne said. “Now that Entergy (former owner and operator of Indian Point) is gone after the state essentially forced its closure, our federal representatives must step in and thwart a new environmental threat.”‘
Byrne proposed using $85,000 from the county’s share of opioid settlement money to help fund the Putnam County Prevention Council’s programming this year in the ongoing effort to fight opioid addiction.
Byrne said his administration will move ahead with plans to build a county mental health facility that would operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week to connect people with mental health services they need and relieve the strain on local hospitals.
He also said his administration will contract with a company to install cameras on all school buses operating in Putnam to detect and help catch drivers who ignore the law that prohibits passing a stopped school bus.
Byrne called for passage of a resolution to reaffirm the county’s support for the U.S. Constitution, saying that in the past few years there have been a number of tests of constitutional rights and individual liberties.
“Putnam County is a place where anyone regardless of their background can pursue and achieve success,” Byrne said. “It is my sincere promise to the nearly 100,000 residents that call this county their home that during my tenure as your county executive for however long you will have me I will ensure that the American dream lives on in Putnam County. This government will work to empower individuals to succeed. We will continue to embody that spirit of opportunity and optimism. We are a county of entrepreneurs, innovators and hard-working people who are dedicated to building a better future for ourselves and our families.”
