My Support of Keeping our Kids Safe and Funding for Adults with Special Needs

At the most recent monthly voting meeting for the full Putnam County Legislature on September 2nd, 2025, two agenda items in particular earned my full support, and I was happy to see them get passed unanimously by this legislature.

The first such agenda item was 6G, an approval of a budgetary transfer of $15,000 to CAREERS Support Solutions, an outside agency that, as a not-for-profit organization, has a fundamental goal to help individuals with disabilities in Putnam County achieve the satisfaction of sustained, gainful employment at no cost to them, their families or employers.

Historically, Putnam County has allocated $30,000 in funding to assist them in achieving their mission for Putnam County families. In the most recent budget, that support was cut in half to just $15,000.

Legislator Greg Ellner made a request at a Rules Committee meeting in July to restore the additional $15,000. Legislator Ellner and I had spoken about this several times leading up to his introducing it, and I was thrilled to support it.

After it passed for discussion through the July Rules committee, it went to the August Rules committee meeting. It was here that I rose to speak in support of it directly to the Putnam County Legislature’s Rules committee, chaired by Legislator Dan Birmingham.

I spoke to the mission of CAREERS and what they mean to Putnam County families. I addressed the growing crisis in underfunding of Adult services for individuals with special needs, but also why fiscally for Putnam County, this was a smart and prudent investment, and should not be viewed purely as spending.

For one thing, cutting this funding to begin with was shortsighted and another example of this county refusing to invest in it’s people.

Secondly, restoring this funding of $15,000 is a paltry amount when the county is currently taxing and hoarding resident’s money to the tune of $90,000,000 in an unassigned fund balance.

Lastly, investment in adult education historically has returned on investment to the tune of 4-7x what is spent. It’s the type of investing this county needs to do more of. It also allows residents with special needs to stay home and be contributing members to their home communities at a time where so many are forced to leave to find vocational and residential opportunities.

At the September full meeting, with all legislators having a chance to vote, it was approved unanimously, and I again rose to speak on the importance of this, the need for more, and why the recent progress on the Early Learning Center cannot be the end of our investment in our special needs neighbors, but the beginning.

The other item on the agenda that I am in full support of and spoke on several times was agenda item 6M, an approval for a Budgetary Amendment for the Sheriff's Office, allocated to Carmel Central School District for two Additional School Resource Officers (SRO), one to be placed at George Fischer Middle School, and another to be placed at Carmel High School.

At the August Audit Committee meeting, when this came up for a approval, I spoke to explain that as a parent of children in the Carmel Central School District (one of which will be attending George Fischer next year), and as someone who talks frequently to my neighbors who have kids currently there, we know how much of a problem George Fischer has been.

I was able to ask the Sheriff’s office directly if I was correct in making these statements and they confirmed not only that, but the numerous threat assessments they’ve undertaken in particular.

There have routine incidents of fights, hate speech, violence, and more. As a parent it is troubling when at times it seemed like nothing could be done. In May, I attended a Carmel Town Board Meeting where I spoke with the Assistant Super Intendant who assured me safety at George Fischer was going to be a priority.

I am thankful to the Putnam County Sheriff’s office, and there late Sheriff Kevin McConville for answering the call to come to the aid of our kids.

When this was put to the full legislature in September for a vote, and it passed unanimously, I spoke to reiterate the importance of this, especially to those of us who are parents and have children in this school district, and to thank Sheriff McConville, and now acting Sheriff Brian Hess, for moving this forward. I also echoed the sentiments of Legislator Erin Crowley, that while this is important, we do still need transparency for the sake of the tax payer to understand the cost.