Letter To The Editor: Fleming True Fiscal Conservative

To The Editor:

Responding to the Putnam County Conservative Party’s endorsementof Maryellen Odell:

I am the only true fiscal conservative in the race for Putnam County Executive. Conservative party members know this. I’ve twice been endorsed by Conservatives in the Town of Kent. As Kent Supervisor for three terms, I have never once raised Town taxes. The current County Executive has increased property taxes for Putnam residents almost 8% since 2013.

Odell has given herself multiple raises. She now earns $155,209 a year, plus generous benefits—nearly as much as executives in counties with populations 10 times the size of Putnam’s, including Westchester. Odell did not veto the 13% pay increase that the part-time County Legislators gave themselves last year.

Odell has refused to lower Putnam’s 8.38% sales tax—the 6th highest sales tax rate in New York State—driving consumers online and out of Putnam. She has run up the County’s credit debt and dumped huge amounts of taxpayer dollars into questionable real estate ventures at the Putnam County Golf Course, Tilly Foster Farm, and the leased Butterfield senior center. Odell has bonded—borrowed—$2.1M for Tilly Foster and nearly $1M for Butterfield, a building owned by a private developer.

Odell has expanded County government by creating additional, controversial positions, including communications staff on a temporary pay line and a “Director of Constituent Services” whose job description includes “personal security” for Odell. She has paid out large amounts of court costs and legal fees to remove and replace existing personnel, including the former Commissioners of Emergency Services and Health. And, under Odell’s watch, Putnam County taxpayers were made to pay $125,000 for a defamation lawsuit against former Sheriff Don Smith—we paid for his personal liability.

As your fiscally responsible County Executive, I will reduce spending and return our County government to its limited, proper role. As I have done in Kent, I will reign in spending and waste. I will bring fiscal control and smart management to the County as the Executive. I look forward to earning the support of fiscally conservative voters who’ve had enough of the Odell tax and spend machine.

Maureen Fleming

Image via Shutterstock