Many in the Arena

There were no brass bands; no flags waving; no public announcements on the steps of the historic Putnam County Courthouse with cheering crowds

State Senator Vincent Leibell made his long-anticipated announcement Sunday at 8am seated in his private office in Carmel: The almost-three-decade veteran of the New York State Legislature will run for Putnam County Executive this fall on the GOP ticket.

Leibell told the Courier that he will be a “hands-on chief elected official. My management signature has always been of consensus. I will address problems and resolve issues through consensus building, by working with fellow elected officials, department heads, legislators, and community residents.”

Leibell stressed that he will be a “24/7” executive: “I have one of the highest attendance rates in the New York State Legislature, traveling to Albany in time for votes, whether I was ill, or during weather calamities. I was elected to represent my district in Putnam, Westchester, and Dutchess, and that’s what I did for 12 years in the Assembly and 16 years in the Senate, while trying to represent the interests of the entire state. Vinnie Leibell was not an absentee state lawmaker and he will not be an absentee county executive. I learned a long time ago in the Navy that ‘if you hope to lead, you lead from the front.’”

Leibell was referring to incumbent County Executive Robert Bondi, who has experienced a rather high rate of absenteeism during the past 18 months due to family illness, the death of his mother, and personal health issues.

Contacted on Monday at his farm in upstate New York, Bondi reacted to the senator’s announcement: “I care very much about the work I am doing. It is extremely important to me and I am hoping to continue performing my job for the foreseeable future. I am making no decision or comment at this time about my long-term future.”

Putnam County finds itself at a crossroads with its recent designation as the tenth highest-taxed county in America. Leibell said the label cannot go on much longer: “Taxes are the number one, two, and three issues facing elected officials,” he said.

Leibell wants a strategic plan for Putnam County within the first few months after he is elected to address both short-term and intermediate planning, in addition to the long-range future of the county: “I intend to plan on what our county will look like next year, five years from now, and 50 years from now. … We will look at issues relating to transportation, emergency services, and other concerns, because the county must become the catalyst for change.”

The senator quickly noted that the safety and security of Putnam’s population lands squarely in the hands of the county executive: “I have chaired the Homeland Security Committee in the State Legislature and know the players—the guys and gals in the street—who are the most important players, who know me and I know each of them. Putnam will remain protected.”

Leibell described his years in Albany as being “fulfilled.” He is expected be nominated at the Republican County convention next month in Mahopac. Putnam’s GOP Chairman Anthony Scannapieco said the senator will have the right to be nominated, but “others will also have that same right.”

Assemblyman Greg Ball and former

Putnam sheriff candidate James Borkowski

are both seeking the Republican nomination for the 40th district state senate seat. Democrat Mike Kaplowitz has announced his candidacy for Leibell’s soon-to-be-vacated seat, as well.