Putnam County Exec is Wasting Taxpayers’ Money With Too Many Lawsuits

Dec 24, 2024 Examiner Media

Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.

By Paul E. Jonke

I was a little surprised to read Phyllis Brooks’ letter to the editor that criticized my “leadership style.” This letter is suspicious because this “person” owns no property in Putnam County, has never attended a legislative meeting and their social media presence is obviously fake.

Fake social media accounts and political operatives posing as concerned citizens to attack a public official through letters and online posts are the kind of cheap political attacks those familiar with Albany politics have come to expect.

County Executive Kevin Byrne has a public relations machine in his office paid for by your tax dollars. Byrne is unhappy with me because I questioned County Attorney Compton Spain back in May about a court action that he started without the required authorization of the legislature. I also had the audacity to question where the county executive got the authority to appoint a major campaign donor of his and newspaper owner as the “ambassador” of Putnam County. Many inquiries have gone unanswered. That silence speaks volumes.

Let’s talk facts. I am very proud of the two terms that I have chaired the Putnam County Legislature. In that time, I have put the taxpayers first by proposing the reduction of the 2024 tax levy by $500,000. This was taxpayer money returned to taxpayers that would have gone to Albany-style “pork” handouts by the county executive.

This year, it was my proposal to allow the sheriff to hire an additional detective that will make Putnam County safer and my proposal to fund the nurses in the Health Department that will make our county healthier.

Under my leadership the legislature bolstered term limits. We believe that career politicians are unhealthy to democracy.

We have been transparent and, if anyone has ever watched our meetings, I’ve done my best to allow everyone to say what they need to. This has been extremely difficult with the outrageous behavior of Legislator Montgomery, who refuses to wait to be recognized and speaks over her colleagues.

The county executive’s childish antics are costing the hardworking taxpayers of Putnam County tens of thousands of tax dollars because he can’t get what he wants. The legislature is a duly elected, nine-member, co-equal branch of government. Yet, if Byrne doesn’t like a legislative vote, he sues. The county executive wasted taxpayer dollars to bring a frivolous lawsuit, including two injunctions against the legislature to deny its right under the county charter to retain its own counsel, only to drop the suit the day before a court conference where the judge ordered Byrne and the county attorney personally appear in court.

County Executive Byrne owes the taxpayers an apology for wasting their money and resources on this futile lawsuit. I urge Putnam’s taxpayers to join me in calling on him to reimburse the county out of his robust campaign fund and focus on the business of actually running a county government.

Byrne is making one bad decision after another. He is putting politics above public service.

This publication should do a better job of confirming the identity of letter writers before printing.

Paul E. Jonke is chairman of the Putnam County Legislature.