Carmel, NY – In a continued effort to increase accountability and accessibility to Putnam County government, last night, County Executive Kevin Byrne hosted the first-ever Putnam County Budget town hall forum. Attended by about 25 individuals, Byrne was introduced by Carmel Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari, and then gave an abbreviated budget presentation for about 15 minutes, followed by questions from residents for the remainder of the time. Questions were asked by those physically in attendance, as well as those watching a livestream of the forum. Questions were asked about infrastructure, non-profit funding, the sales tax exemption of clothing & footwear, and more.

This innovative event is part of Byrne’s ongoing commitment to increasing government transparency, accessibility, and accountability for Putnam County residents. "Transparency in government is critical, and I’m committed to making our county's budget process as open and accessible as possible. We’ve done a lot of constituent forums since I took office. We believe they are the best ways to have folks voices heard, ask questions, and for them to better understand where their tax dollars are going," said Byrne. "It's another step in fulfilling my commitment to provide greater accountability to the people of Putnam.

To watch the entire forum, visit https://www.youtube.com/live/De6szvWd9aM?si=nq3SjifXVZzdNOen.

Byrne stated, “This budget continues our tax cuts from last year, continues the elimination of sales tax on regressive purchases, and slashes the property tax rate to its lowest level in 18 years.”

Visit https://putnamcountyny.gov/25budget to watch Byrne’s full presentation, explore the new Budget Transparency Website, and review additional relevant documents.