Tara Percacciolo, Philipstown’s newly elected town clerk, took the oath of office on New Year’s Day assisted by her father, Joseph Percacciolo III.
Philipstown Supervisor Richard Shea was sworn in by Philipstown Justice Camille Linson on Jan. 3. (Photo by Kathleen Foley)
Returning Town Board Member Robert Flaherty were sworn in by Philipstown Justice Camille Linson on Jan. 3. (Photo by Kathleen Foley)
Twenty-four of the 25 Dutchess County legislators, representing Beacon, Poughkeepsie, eight villages and 20 towns, were present on Jan. 7 to be sworn in for new two-year terms. Gregg Pulver was also re-elected as chair. (Photo provided)
Regarding local politicians taking their oaths of office in the new year: I hope these individuals, in particular the members of the Putnam County Legislature, reflect on their oath, which is to represent the constituents who elected them.
Before the holidays, the Legislature busied itself with presenting party over county, a shoddy facsimile of party over country that we see played out in Washington, D.C. Putnam is not D.C., so the Legislature should put away ill-focused aspirations and focus on service.
The Legislature concentrated on demeaning the budget requests and efforts of Sheriff Robert Langley Jr., who inherited a rehab necessity from the previous sheriff and has energized a first-rate Sheriff’s Department despite not-so-subtle attempts to cloud his visions. Legislator Neal Sullivan barked: “The sheriff is using budget lines just to spend money.” Legislator Paul Jonke belched about “runaway-train requests.” And Legislator Amy Sayegh chirped: “There is a pattern here.”
Indeed, there is a pattern. The pattern is to promote the idea that in Republican Putnam, a Democrat cannot do a good job. The pattern is to put party over public safety. Perhaps the Legislature would be satisfied with dictating to the sheriff that he instruct his deputies, upon pulling over a motorist, to ask: “Are you a Republican, or a Democrat?” The pattern is to mumble concern over taxpayer burdens, making quality law enforcement more difficult while mismanaging so many other aspects of county business.