Audit Committee Meeting - October 22, 2026 - Putnam County Legislature, NY

The Putnam County Legislature’s Audit and Administrative Committee met on October 22, 2026. The committee approved several budget amendments and transfers, including $200,000 for Health Department preschool program costs, $147,869 in state pass-through grant funding for the Legal Aid Society, $26,923 for Sheriff’s Office crisis intervention training, and $100,114.50 to cover emergency dispatch overtime. It also approved $70,000 for DPW automotive supplies and repairs; grant items of $17,250 for traffic safety and $1,106.30 for STOP-DWI overtime reimbursement; a $50,018.66 SHIP grant transfer supporting law-enforcement overtime and a canine purchase; and $23,500 to purchase seven jail cameras. The dispatch overtime transfer used savings from an expired EMS contract. No competitive bid or vendor selection was discussed.

The principal discussion concerned proposals to fund municipal infrastructure and resiliency projects. The committee advanced a proposed $6.5 million cooperation program, with an amendment extending its timeframe to 2026–27 and removing a category for professional services, and a separate proposal for $10 million distributed over 2027–28; both were forwarded to the full Legislature for consideration, not finally enacted at this meeting. Members and municipal representatives discussed allocation formulas, eligible joint projects, legal and timing constraints, and whether funds could be used for items such as roads, equipment, water and sewer infrastructure, and salt. The committee also approved a budget transfer associated with supporting the first proposal; the closing discussion transcribes its amount as $6 million, although the proposal was repeatedly described as $6.5 million. Public comments emphasized the need for a workable timeline and a predictable, ongoing municipal revenue-sharing arrangement.