Two Democrats Nominated to Run for Southeast Town Board
An incumbent Democratic councilwoman and a first-time Democratic candidate have announced they are running for the two open seats on the Southeast Town Board.
Councilwoman Lynne Eckardt, who is currently serving her first four-year term on the town board, is being joined on the campaign by longtime resident John Lord. Both were both nominated recently by the town’s Democratic Committee.
Eckardt said last week she has accomplished much during her first term on the board, including working with Supervisor Tony Hay to increase Southeast’s fund balance from $98,000 to more than $1.3 million and had worked with Hay to keep within the state property tax cap since 2012.
Eckardt said she solicited Solar City’s bid on solar panels for the former town landfill, saving the town 1.8 million over the next 20 years.
Eckardt said she worked with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Putnam County Land Trust and Concerned Residents of Southeast to open a one-mile trail running alongside the Diverting Reservoir. It is “a recreational asset added at zero cost to the taxpayer,” she said. Through her contacts, Eckardt said the town received over five acres of commercial property on Route 6 West. While the acquisition cost the town $48,000, the land is valued at over $500,000 and can be used or sold after several years, she said.
Eckardt joined the Putnam CAP (Community Action Program) Advisory Board two years ago.
Eckardt also spoke about some of the issues she wanted to address over the next four years. ”Southeast taxes and our fund balance remain on center stage,” she said. “While over 75 percent of our property taxes fund our schools, we need to try to reduce our tax burden while staying within the 2 percent tax cap and maintaining a healthy fund balance. Southeast Town taxes are the lowest in Putnam County — it’s essential to keep them that way.”
Another town board focus should be recreation, Eckardt said. “Southeast has a solid recreation program which, due to unavoidable budget cuts, hasn’t been marketed properly. I recently worked with the Recreation Department to put together a booklet describing all that we offer. This will go out in a town-wide mailing this April. It’s our job to ensure residents are aware of all we offer,” she said.
The town board should work better with the Brewster Village Board of Trustees, Eckardt said. “While there has been much better cooperation between the town and village than in the past, I believe there’s more we can do,” she said.
Eckardt, 62, said she does garden design professionally, but added, “most of my time is now spent on town business.”
Lord said he was running for the first time for public office because he wanted to help influence the direction of town government. “I think there’s a desire for more people to have a say in town government,” he said.
Lord said he wanted to work with Eckardt and Supervisor Tony Hay. Eckardt and the supervisor “have been agreeing on quite a few things,” Lord said. “I agree with a lot of their positions.”
Lord said he was just starting his campaign and had not developed a platform. But Lord said he would be “listening to the residents of the town” and would keep their opinions in mind on such issues as zoning and development.
Lord, who will turn 62 in July, works in Connecticut for an international company that moves corporate executives.
