The Putnam County Legislature voted unanimously at its regular monthly meeting to limit its own pay raises to once every four years, with any increase capped at the average consumer price index over the preceding four years. The same action removed the requirement that the county executive be Putnam's highest-paid employee and limits the executive to one raise per four-year term. Lawmakers currently receive $48,173 a year, and the chairperson collects an additional 25 percent stipend worth $12,044.
The unanimous vote does not end the argument. The measure is subject to a permissive referendum, which means residents can collect signatures and put the question on the 2027 ballot. If you want a say in what the county pays for, the 2027 budget committees run this week: Rules and Audit meet Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., Economic Development and Health on Wednesday, and Personnel on Thursday, all in Room 318 of the Historic Courthouse in Carmel.
The questions Putnam searches this week, answer first, source after.
Is the Carmel High School gym closed?
Yes. Superintendent Michael Plotkin announced Sunday that water damage to the gymnasium floor forced the closure, and competitive play stays out until the damaged area is repaired. Architects, engineers and maintenance staff are assessing the floor and investigating the source; one possibility under examination is groundwater beneath the floor and building, which has not been confirmed. Plotkin said the district's goal is to address both the damage and its underlying cause so the gym can serve safely over the long term, which means the repair decision waits on the assessment. Families with games or events booked in the gym should watch for district updates.
Raises for the nine lawmakers can arrive at most once every four years, and any increase is capped at the average consumer price index over the preceding four years. The county executive gets the same once-per-term limit, and the old rule requiring the executive to be Putnam's highest-paid employee is gone. Current pay is $48,173 per legislator, with a $12,044 stipend for the chairperson. Residents who want the question on the 2027 ballot can petition, and the permissive-referendum route means a raise for county officeholders cannot rest on the lawmakers' vote alone.
The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail organization appointed Aaron Leonard as Vice President of Operations and Organizational Development. Leonard's background covers nonprofit management, public safety, the military and outdoor programs, which fits the role's two halves: running operations and building the organization behind them. No start date or program changes were announced, so nothing changes for trail users yet; this is a leadership announcement.
What's closed today for Columbus Day in Putnam County?
Putnam County offices and Kent town offices are closed all day today. A DMV stop, town-clerk paperwork or permit errand waits until Tuesday, when the county's Rules and Audit budget committees also open the week's budget review at 6:00 p.m. in Room 318 of the Historic Courthouse.
Today turns mostly cloudy, then gradually sunny, with a high near 70 and a north wind around 8 mph. Tonight stays mostly clear with a low around 53. Tuesday reaches about 71 with increasing clouds, and Wednesday turns mostly sunny near 74. Showers become likely Thursday night, mainly after 2 a.m., and Friday runs wet before a cooler, clearer weekend. No watches, warnings or advisories are active for the Putnam zone this morning. The holiday closes Putnam County and Kent town offices today, so a DMV or town-clerk errand waits until Tuesday, when the county's budget committees open the week at 6:00 p.m. in Room 318 of the Historic Courthouse.
AI Corner: one plain-English AI thing, every issue
This week: using an AI chat to read a proposed local law before you sign or share it.
Today's raise-cap vote comes with a petition option, and petition drives depend on people understanding what they are signing. Paste the law's text or a full news article into an AI chat and ask for the mechanics in plain English: what the CPI cap limits, when the first raise could arrive, and what a permissive referendum petition requires in New York. Then verify the parts that matter against the county's own resolution or the Legislature's office, because an AI chat can misread legal text and petition rules come from state law. A five-minute check protects both your signature and your neighbor's.
Reply with questions; they become future AI Corners.
First of two hand-delivery days for the Putnam Arts Council's Annual Juried Fine Art Show; artists 18 and older may enter up to two original works (also Sunday, Oct 18)
Belle Levine Art Center, 521 Kennicut Hill Rd., Mahopac · putnamartscouncil.com · 845-803-8622
County flu clinic, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., adults 18 and older, $30 cash or credit, free with a Medicare card, in-car vaccination offered
Carmel Fire Department · register at putnamcountyny.gov/fluclinic
Kent Town Board public hearing on a local law to override the property tax levy for the 2027 budget, 7:00 p.m.
Kent Town Hall, 25 Sybils Crossing, Kent Lakes · townofkentny.gov calendar
Opening day for the Putnam Arts Council's Annual Juried Fine Art Show, juried by Andrew Lattimore with cash awards and honorable mentions
A. Eric Arctander Gallery, Belle Levine Art Center, Mahopac · putnamartscouncil.com
Youth Bureau Trunk or Treat, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., rain or shine, vendor setup from 5:30
Tilly Foster Farm, 100 Route 312, Brewster · per the Putnam County Youth Bureau
