Tight Legislative 1 Race Pits Scuccimarra Against Osborne
Two candidates are running for the District 1 Legislative Seat that serves Philipstown, Cold Spring and part of Putnam Valley.
Barbara Scuccimarra-Republican Incumbent
As a first term incumbent, Barbara Scuccimarra, a Republican, believes she’s delivered for her constituents on the western side of Putnam. Fighting to bring a senior center at the Butterfield redevelopment has been Scuccimarra’s “proudest moment,” a journey she described as long and arduous that required work with various stakeholders. She asserted the need is there for an improved senior center because the previous location was much too small and not all seniors went to the American Legion. Outside of the Butterfield fight, Scuccimarra said combating the drug crisis has been on her radar, noting there have been several deaths as a result of drug overdoses. She’s part of a coalition that brings forward awareness and education. She also helped bring a School Resource Officer to Haldane High School, which it didn’t have before. While the big things are important, Scuccimarra said she finds working on smaller, more personalized problems to be gratifying. “My door is always open, my phone is always on,” she said. “I welcome people calling with individual issues.” Though her opponent has said Philipstown can do better, Scuccimarra’s retort is: “In what way?” Now that a new senior center is imminent, Scuccimarra thinks other services can follow. She highlighted the county helps in other ways like providing election services free of cost and paying the bulk toward community college expenses. Other social services like for seniors or women are programs Scuccimarra will work on getting if elected again. She also stressed there is a difference between being beholden to a group, like Lithgow Osborne claims she is, and working together, which Scuccimarra said she does. “When you get elected, you go in and work with who’s in office,” Scuccimarra said. “I believe in my heart you get more done that way.” Scuccimarra points to her record over three years as to why she deserves another three. “Look at what I’ve done in my community for the past 40 years,” she said. “I have a proven record. What has (Osborne) done?”
Lithgow Osborne-Democratic Challenger
Democratic challenger Lithgow Osborne believes his district on the west side of Putnam County is not being served adequately and that it deserves “a stronger advocate.” Osborne questioned how much his opponent has actually done and said there should have been “less rubber stamping and more advocating” during her term in office. He stressed incumbent Barbara Scuccimarra has spent too much energy on certain legislation like a polystyrene ban in government buildings and other environmental issues that while admittedly important, are easy for everyone to get behind. As a “man of strong conviction,” Osborne said he doesn’t fit in one peg and isn’t beholden to any one group or person. He vows to scrutinize fiscal accountability and demand more transparency. He said one idea the county now has–bringing county clerk services to western Putnam–is an initiative Osborne was touting when he ran for county clerk last year and lost. While a senior center seems to be a lock at Butterfield, Osborne thinks the county is thinking too small. He would like to see a full-time staffer hired to look at day-to- day programming for seniors. Because places like Cold Spring and Philipstown bring in so much sales tax that goes back to the county, Osborne said his district doesn’t see enough of that money back and wants to see sales tax shared with the towns. “I would like to work to get some of that money back to us,” he said. “Even if it’s just $100 per person, per taxpayer.” Regarding the county budget, though Osborne understands how tough it is with state mandates, he argues the county must find “newer, better ways” to cut down on expenses. “There are always ways you can save money,” he said. “I just don’t believe a budget that size there isn’t room to trim a little fat off.” Focusing on the Office of Tourism, Osborne questions the hires in the agency and would rather see consultants brought in to avoid pension and other benefit costs. Osborne thinks voters should elect him because “I’m a strong, independent advocate for both Philipstown and Putnam Valley.”
