Since presenting the preliminary budget, we have continued working to reduce the proposed tax increase while maintaining the services our residents depend on. Through collaboration with our Highway and Parks Departments, we have made adjustments to spending, along with adjustments to workers’ compensation costs.

As a result, we have reduced the effective tax rate increase from the original 7.2% to 3.34%. This progress reflects an ongoing, collaborative effort to carefully review expenses, identify savings, and make responsible financial decisions on behalf of our taxpayers.

We are also in discussions with Verizon regarding a new franchise agreement that could bring an additional benefit to our community. Approximately 5,000 homes in Putnam Valley would be able to access cable television through Verizon Fios. We are continuing these discussions to explore the details of the agreement and what it could mean for residents.

My commitment is to approach our budget with transparency, fiscal responsibility, and a willingness to work together to find practical solutions. While there is still work to do, we are making meaningful progress toward a budget that serves our community while remaining mindful of the financial pressures facing our taxpayers.

Join us for our next Commission of Lakes Meeting.  All are welcome!

Tuesday, November 10, 6 PM · Putnam Valley Town Hall

From Data to Action

Our lakes have been studied for decades, and that record is valuable: it tells us what is driving their decline, with phosphorus at the center of it. We now have enough data to act. Lake restoration consultant and veteran Earth Science teacher Jack Mosel will revisit the survey and restoration design he prepared for Lake Peekskill in 2011, look at what has changed since, and present practical options for capturing nutrients before they feed algae, including natural filter media such as biochar and zeolite. He will also outline how Putnam Valley’s lakes, working alongside neighbors at Lake Mohegan and Lake Carmel, could form a regional, science-based model well positioned for state and federal restoration funding. Residents, lake associations and anyone who cares about our lakes are welcome.

Presenter

Jack Mosel is a veteran New York State Earth Science teacher who has worked in lake restoration since 2008. He ran Aquatic Restorations, LLC and served as a senior lake restoration consultant with Lake Savers, surveying Lake Peekskill and writing its 2011 restoration proposal. He has prepared restoration designs for New York State Parks, including Rudd Pond, Otter Pond and Bass Pond. As a teacher he led the science on Mahopac High School’s floating-islands project and built “Grow the Walls” at Webutuck High School, a classroom aquaponic system that grew food and fish while pulling phosphorus out of the water. He has given keynotes at Columbia University on energy harvesting and at the Wall Street Green Summit.