Citizens Review County Charter

Nine residents of Putnam County will be meeting regularly this year to discuss ways of improving county government.

The Putnam Legislature unanimously appointed members to the Charter Revision Commission Tuesday who will spend the next 11 months reviewing the county’s 30 year old charter form of government.

Legislature Chairman Vincent Tamagna of Nelsonville, who will chair the commission as he did a decade ago when the commission was last created, told the Courier several key concerns will be reviewed in 2010: “We have to discuss how money is spent along with the structure of various county departments. I intend to look at the Highways and Facilities Department and pose the question: ‘Should the commissioner be required to possess a professional engineer degree?’ We will also be reviewing the Health Department as well as other agencies within county government that might need revision since 2010 is a different world than it was in 2000.”

Those appointed to the commission include Putnam’s first County Executive David Bruen of Southeast, Frank Farrell of Patterson, Brewster Board of Education trustee and Southeast Town Councilman Roger Gross, former Putnam Legislator and current Putnam Sheriff’s Department Inspector General Terry Intrary, former Putnam Legislator Lillian Jones of Mahopac, Joseph Spallina of Kent, retired Putnam County Commissioner of Jurors Irene Schech of Patterson and Marie Zarcone of Putnam Valley.

Putnam Legislative Counsel Clement Van Ross of Putnam Valley will serve as legal advisor.

Tamagna stressed the commission was bipartisan: “There are as many Democrats as there are Republicans serving on the commission. The members represent a different level of professional experience. These are high level people who know their business whether it be health care or construction. We have some really good people serving our constituency.”

Tamagna forecast the panel will review items “piece by piece with the goal of making Putnam County a better government.”

Putnam’s Charter form of government was created following a countywide referendum in the late 1970’when voters decided to eliminate the Board of Supervisors replacing the body with a county executive and county legislature.