Odell and Fleming Exchange Blows in County Exec. Race
In the final stretch of their campaigns for Putnam County executive, incumbent Republican MaryEllen Odell and Democratic challenger Maureen Fleming traded barbs on budgets and contracts with neither giving an inch.
Odell, in a statement posted on her social media page, accused Fleming of misleading the public by making false statements and promoting false advertising during her campaign for the top county post. Odell said Fleming’s claim that she hasn’t raised taxes during her tenure as Kent supervisor is a “lie” because she wasn’t including special districts, specifically fire, sewer and park districts.
“It is beyond misleading to claim 0% tax increases when in fact the total amount of taxes to be collected went up by $209,481. Frankly, it is down right disingenuous.” Odell continued, “As government officials, we cannot pick and choose which line items we get to include in our budgets and which we don’t. We have a responsibility to tell the people the truth, which is why budgets should be adopted before Election Day, as they are in county government.”
Odell called on local media outlets to suspend the publication of this “false and deceptive” advertising. (The Putnam Examiner ran the ad and stands by the decision).
“And I call on Maureen Fleming to immediately apologize to the voters of Putnam County for lying about her record as Supervisor of the Town of Kent,” Odell added. “This is about character. Putnam County deserves leaders who are honest about their records.”
Fleming shot back at Odell a day later, stating Odell had a “shocking ignorance of basic municipal budgeting.” Odell either doesn’t understand the difference between town taxes and special district taxes or she is willfully conflating the two in an attempt to distract voters from her own significant county tax increases, Fleming stated.
Fleming said that Odell, in seven years as county executive, has raised taxes 10.94 percent cumulatively to “prop up her wasteful spending and bloated patronage arrangements.”
“My record in the Town of Kent proves year after year that disciplined budgeting and honest leadership will deliver services without increasing taxes,” Fleming remarked. “I stand by my statement that zeros work. I never make claims I can’t back up. I have never raised Town taxes.”
On Monday, Fleming went on the offensive, chastising Odell for treating county workers in unions “shamefully.” She noted that currently three county unions have been without a contract for several years, resulting in no pay raises for them.
“At the same time, Odell has given herself two raises since she took office in 2011, and she did not object to part-time legislators giving themselves a 14 percent raise. No one, in any job, gets a 14 percent raise—especially for a part-time position that include health benefits,” Fleming stated. “It’s time for labor in Putnam County to get a fair deal, negotiated in good faith.”
Fleming then criticized Odell for proposing a contract with the sheriff’s department PBA that would’ve been fiscally unsustainable. The entire county Legislature in 2017 voted against the proposed contract that Odell and former sheriff Don Smith OK’d with the PBA. Fleming asserted the contract would’ve been “devastating” to the county budget and county taxpayers.
Odell defended the contract she reached with the PBA, arguing patrol deputies deserve parity with other local law enforcement agencies in Putnam. It’s unfortunate the proposed contract got caught up in “politics,” Odell said, “at the same time the legislature gave themselves a raise, it’s unfortunate that they don’t see it the same way I do, but I’m a strong advocate for our law enforcement.”
Odell noted her administration has been in negotiations with the CSEA for at least two years and has reached an impasse. There have been several attempts to schedule meetings with union reps and recently Odell had a one-on-one meeting with Janet Canaday, who is the CSEA president. She is hopeful an equitable contract can eventually be reached.
When addressing Fleming’s statement about her shameful treatment of county workers, Odell called it a “very unfair, cheap shot statement.” During extreme weather events, Odell noted she has allowed county workers to go home early or stay home to avoid dangerous conditions while personal time is not taken away. She added a safety coordinator was hired at the start of her tenure to ensure conditions were up to par for workers.
“I love this county like I love my own family and I treat all employees the same way,” Odell said. “I know that they respect that and I know that they appreciate that.”
