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Watching Putnam Valley

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A collection of 105 posts

Campaign Finance Update

In the final disclosure period before Election Day, a few items were noteworthy: • On October 13th, two days after Watching Putnam Valley published a story raising questions about a $30,000 contribution made by the Putnam Valley Republican Committee to the Byrne for County Executive Committee, the Byrne campaign transferred

Meet the Candidates Forum

About 50 people gathered at the Lake Peekskill Community Center last night to hear six candidates for local office spell out their positions on a variety of issues The moderator from Westchester's League of Women Voters, Kathy Meany, ran a tight ship. The atmosphere was respectful, the questions

More Budget Deliberations

At yesterday's Town Board work session, Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur offered details of how she proposes to reduce the size of next year's budget and the burden it would impose on taxpayers. Her new version requires $314,290 less in tax revenue, cuts that were mostly accomplished

New Questions for Town Justice

The whole point of having campaign finance rules is so that the public can know who is paying - and how much - to support a particular candidate. If anyone could be expected to be scrupulous about adhering to those rules it would be a candidate seeking to be a judge. Alas,

Elon Musk Comes to Putnam Valley

Elon Musk Comes to Putnam Valley

Elections in Putnam Valley have typically revolved around pressing local issues like how much salt will cost this winter, how long it takes to get bridges repaired, zoning applications for controversial real estate proposals and other hot topics pertaining to our immediate surroundings. This year is a little different. Some

The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens

Since WatchingPutnamValley published its initial findings about campaign finance filings last week, more information has come to light about some of the big donors attributed to the golfing fundraiser on September 15th that netted the Putnam Valley GOP about $25,000. To recap, that event was a joint fundraiser held

Further Down the Budget Rabbit Hole

Further Down the Budget Rabbit Hole

Just when you think you're finally beginning to understand Putnam Valley's complicated budget, new insights emerge. Today's installment comes courtesy of John Wolham, the Town Assessor who began working here in March. Previously published stories tried to explain individual aspects of this year'

Step By Step in Lake Peekskill

Lake Peekskill residents moved one step closer today to final resolution of the septic problems that have plagued their neighborhood for months, some say years. At a hearing this morning at Putnam County's Department of Health, Administrative Law Judge Eric Zaidins finalized the stipulation of Jemab Family Limited

Following The Money Again

The Putnam Valley Republican Committee must really, really like Kevin Byrne. That's because on August 28th the committee contributed $30,000 to his campaign, making it the largest single infusion his campaign received all year. Reflecting deep divisions within the county's Republican Party, the only other

Clarifying The Cost of Fire Protection

One of the biggest flashpoints in the proposed budget for next year is the cost of fire protection services. According to the tentative budget released last week, the tax revenue needed to support those services is $687,462 more than last year, a stunning 59% increase. However, without context those

Budget Deliberations Heat Up

Well, that didn't take long. Last Wednesday evening, Putnam Valley Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur released next year's tentative budget to her fellow board members and the public. By Friday, Bill Gouldman, the town's current legislator who is running against Jolicoeur in November, released a statement

Town Hall Updates

• Residents got their first look at the town's tentative budget for 2027 yesterday and it wasn't pretty. It calls for a 7.28% increase in taxes and that's after the town reduces the burden on taxpayers by taking $2.3 million out of its

Your Town Justice Candidates

It's almost uncanny. Two 58-year-old men who live just down the road from each other on West Shore Drive are running for Town Justice in Putnam Valley. Both cite their childhood summers on Lake Oscawana where both say their parents first met. Both eschew party politics

Misinformation

Careful observers of the August 19th Town Board meeting might have noticed something amiss. Board Member Christian Russo read aloud the monthly report he had been emailed by Legislator William Gouldman, as can be seen here, beginning at the 38:30 mark. But little of it made any sense. Russo

Your Legislative Candidates

This November, voters in most of Putnam Valley will have an opportunity to choose a new person to represent them in the county legislature. Their current legislator, William Gouldman, has served four, three-year terms and cannot run again. Two people with very different experiences are vying for that position:

Bill Gouldman's Work Record

Bill Gouldman's Work Record

William Gouldman has been serving as the primary representative for Putnam Valley in the county's legislature since 2015, a part-time position. He also held several full-time jobs in the private sector during that period, as he was entitled to do. However, as an elected official he&

Town Hall August Update

Bruce Barber, the town's long-serving wetlands inspector and planning consultant, submitted his resignation today. He did not respond to a voicemail requesting more information. While Barber was out on medical leave this spring the town hired an interim wetlands inspector, Max Garfinkle, who has also been serving

Following The Money

One tried and true way to understand what is going on in an election season is to study the financing of candidates' campaigns, the money flowing in and out of their committees' accounts which they're required to reveal publicly. A review of campaign finances of all

Election Season is Heating Up

The signs are unmistakable. The local Republican Party, whose candidates lost their supervisor and town board positions last November by 23 and 31 votes respectively, are pulling out all the stops to move Putnam Valley back into the R column this November. With Congressman Mike Lawler battling headwinds stemming from

Public Transportation Proposed for Putnam Valley

In a welcome break from the flooding that has pummeled the town and caused Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur to declare a state of emergency, Putnam Valley residents got some good news today. A publicly supported shared-ride service that has been running on the eastern side of the county since last

Who Is Eileen Myers Really?

Who Is Eileen Myers Really?

To Putnam Valley residents, Eileen Myers is the person most associated with three homes on Lake Drive whose troubled septic systems have long plagued that Lake Peekskill neighborhood and the town, county and state regulators charged with enforcing their use. By all appearances, she is a frail, older wisp of

July News Briefs

• Campaign season has started! On Monday night the town's Conservative Party endorsed Republican William Gouldman for Town Supervisor rather than Democrat Alison Jolicoeur, although the organization does occasionally endorse Democrats such as Shawn Keeler, who is running for Highway Superintendent. In making his pitch, Gouldman told the caucus

Camp Combe at the Zoning Board

Camp Combe at the Zoning Board

It was a full house last night at Town Hall, when residents attended a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting to learn more about Camp Combe's plans to expand its operations. Before opening the public comment period Board Chair William Maskiell went to great lengths to assure the audience

Camp Combe's Tax Problem

According to records at Putnam County's Department of Finance, the owner of Camp Combe is delinquent on the property taxes it owes the town, the school district and the county to the tune of $212,811.23. As a result, there are liens on that property. In theory,

Progress in Lake Peekskill!

The owners of the three homes at 62, 64 and 66 Lake Drive in Lake Peekskill signed an agreement today with the Putnam County Department of Health to remediate the ailing septic systems at those properties. Heath Gurinsky, representing Jemab Family Limited Partnership and its partner Eileen Myers, admittted to