CARMEL, NY – Last month, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne held his final constituent forum of the year at Nelsonville Village Hall. The forum garnered participation from over 15 residents, including Nelsonville Village Mayor Chris Alice Winward and Cold Spring Village Mayor Kathleen Foley. Byrne had visited Cold Spring earlier in the year for an outdoor forum, but the event was rained out. At the time, he pledged he would return to Philipstown and host an additional forum before year’s end. Byrne returned on Tuesday and stayed true to his word.

Topics during the Nelsonville forum ranged from protecting wildlife along Fishkill Road, sales tax, the 2025 Putnam County Budget, school bus safety and crosswalks, and residents desire to extend the public comment period for the Fjord Trail’s Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, an action subsequently agreed to by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Since taking office in January 2023, Byrne has followed through on his commitment to be the first County Executive to hold annual constituent forums in each town within Putnam County. These conversations with residents take various forms, including, “Coffee with the County Executive”, “Trailblazing with Byrne” nature walks along County trailways, virtual online discussions, and this year hosted the first-ever Putnam County Budget Town Hall Forum at Carmel Town Hall. Byrne pledged to continue these question-and-answer tours in 2025.

“Transparency is so much more than a buzzword -- it’s a philosophy of governing that my Administration takes to heart. Since taking office, we’ve made a concerted effort to ensure we have a County government that is transparent, accessible, and accountable to all Putnam residents,” said Byrne. “What better way to meet these goals than to sit down with citizens in their communities and hear from them directly? These are always lively and informative discussions and help to better inform and improve our County government. Thank you to all who participated. I look forward to hearing from you again in 2025.”