Watching Putnam Valley

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Voter Apathy Puts PV School Budget at Risk

An important decision is looming for many residents of Putnam Valley. Will they choose to vote in an important upcoming election that could have major implications for the state of their community or will they stay home? On May 21st, the town's school district will hold an election

April Events (curated)

Friday, April 5th at 7:30pm - House of Hamill, a Celtic folk band at Tomkins Corners Cultural Center. Info about $25 tickets here Sunday, April 7th at 4pm - Bring an instrument, dancing shoes and a dish to share at the Cajun Jam and potluck at Tompkins Corners Cultural

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Town Hall News

At the March 20th Town Board meeting, Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi scheduled a public hearing for 6pm on April 17th to review a proposed 2% occupancy tax on rooms rented for less than 30 days. The full text of the proposal can be found on pages 5-15 by clicking this link.

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Political Dispatches

January has been a relatively quiet month in Putnam Valley, but here are a few notable developments worth sharing: **On January 15th, the town suffered the devastating loss of Town Clerk Kimberly McKeown. Although she had only been elected to that position in November, after running unopposed, McKeown had worked

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Grants Galore!

When Jacqueline Annabi took over as Town Supervisor in January 2022, she made it clear she wanted to make securing grants for the town a signature element of her administration. With Putnam Valley facing a daunting array of critical infrastructure needs, this was key to her strategy to limit the

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It's a done deal!

At its meeting on November 15th, the Town Board voted unanimously to adopt its proposed regulation of short-term rentals. The board's vote took place following five public hearings since July during which numerous residents weighed in both for and against. Now that this new regulation has been adopted,

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Morning-after Election Insights

In the cold light of day, it's clear that candidates who were able to earn the endorsement of the town's Conservative Party had a big advantage over their opponents in yesterday's election. Highway Superintendent Shawn Keeler received 528 votes on the Conservative line, nearly

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Election Results!

The results are in, and though they're not final, they are not expected to change significantly. Sherry Howard and Louie Luongo will fill the two open seats on the town board for the next four years. Incumbent Shawn Keeler beat Mark Pawera in the race for highway superintendent.

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Election Flash Points

More than 50 people crowded into the Lake Peekskill Community Center last Monday evening to hear candidates for the town board, highway superintendent and county legislator compete for our votes. The format - 90 seconds to answer questions, with limited opportunity for rebuttal - yielded little in the way of

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Our voice in the county

Rarely do political issues divide our town board strictly along party lines. The same cannot be said for the Putnam County Legislature. There, eight Republican legislators tend to vote in lockstep, with the one Democrat, Nancy Montgomery, often isolated in her positions. This November, the person representing most of Putnam

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The Battle for Highway Superintendent

Few subjects generate more animated conversation in Putnam Valley than the state of our roads. So perhaps it is fitting that every two years the issue of who maintains these essential arteries is decided at the ballot box rather than by executive appointment. This year we are being offered a

Government

Your town board candidates

Starting this month, Putnam Valley voters have an opportunity to re-evaluate who represents them on the town board. The position of town supervisor is not being contested. The Democrats have decided not to run anyone against Republican Town Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi, who is widely viewed as having displayed a solid

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It's almost lawn sign season!

Later this month, voting starts in Putnam Valley for the representatives who will help govern the town for the next two years.   Town Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi is running uncontested, but four candidates are vying for the two open seats on the town board. Two candidates are competing to be the

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Short-term rentals, again

During the past week, Putnam Valley's town board held two more public hearings on its proposed regulation of short-term rentals, most commonly associated with Airbnb. Although few residents spoke at those sessions and most seemed to accept that regulation was inevitable, a few new issues did emerge. Board

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Short-term Rentals, Round Two

The Putnam Valley town board held a second public hearing this week on its proposal to regulate short-term rentals (STRs), commonly associated with Airbnb and VRBO listings. The board made some revisions to its original resolution, however the new proposal was only available in printed copies to those who came

Residents weigh in on short-term rental proposal

In a rare sight, Putnam Valley's town hall was filled on Wednesday evening with residents who had come to share their views on the proposed resolution to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO properties. For an hour and a half, nineteen people expressed opinions that could

The show must go on

Many town residents are undoubtedly preoccupied with the repercussions of the intense rain we experienced last week. So, consider this a reminder that on Wednesday at 6pm, the town board will hold its public hearing on the subject of short-term rentals. The board's proposed resolution for how to

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Town proposes regulations of short-term rentals

The Town of Putnam Valley took a big step forward last week in its efforts to regulate short-term rentals most commonly associated with Airbnb and VRBO homes. At its June meeting, the town board published a detailed proposal that would require homeowners wishing to rent out their homes for less

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School District Election Results

The people of Putnam Valley's school district have spoken. Crystal Hernandez will be joining the Putnam Valley Board of Education as a trustee, beating incumbent Joseph Ferraro. The vote count was 790 for Hernandez and 589 for Ferraro. For more background on this election, click here. The proposed

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Upcoming School Board Election

Not so long ago, local school board elections were a relatively tame affair. But with parents becoming fiercely divided over issues like transgender rights, book bans, critical race theory, and Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, those days are over. On May 16th, residents in

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Town seeks to tax room rentals

After many years of discussion, the town of Putnam Valley is taking the first step towards regulating Airbnb and Vrbo rentals. At a work session on April 12th, the town board voted unanimously in favor of a resolution that asks the state legislature to allow the town to impose a

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What kind of library do we want?

On May 16th, Putnam Valley voters who live in the school district have an important decision to make. Do they want to continue under-investing in the town library, with the reduced hours, substandard facility and limited services that result from that? Or should they dig a little more deeply into

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Careful what you wish for

Once upon a time there was a town board that was trying to do something very helpful for its constituents. Complaints were surfacing about boat owners who were mooring their boats in a lake (Oscawana) in a manner that was deemed disruptive and unsafe. When it turned out this handful

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A cautionary tale

One of our good local newspapers that focuses on the county, not the town, published a column this week that deserves wide readership. It was written by Douglas Cunningham, the publisher and editor of the Putnam County News & Recorder. Although the newspaper is generally behind a paywall, he has

A new hat in the ring

The race for Putnam Valley's primary representative on the Putnam County Legislature heated up last week with the announcement that Maggie Ploener, a town resident for more than ten years, is running against incumbent William Gouldman. Gouldman, a Republican, announced in mid-February that he would be seeking a