Puglisi Touts Leadership and Proven Record in Bid for 14th Term
Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi has been a mainstay in town government for the last 30 years, and she’s hopeful residents will put their confidence again in her “trusted leadership” by electing her to a 14th two-year term on November 7.
“I love being town supervisor,” she said. “I have been fortunate to be town supervisor and to get support from the community for 14 elections. I’m very proud of our achievements over the years, but I never rest on our laurels.”
Puglisi first burst on the political scene in 1987 when she was elected councilwoman. Four years later, she became only the second woman in the history of Cortlandt to be elected supervisor. She has never looked back, and is currently tied with Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner as the longest serving town chief executive.
“I have approached every election the same. I try to get out my messages,” Puglisi said. “You can’t take anything for granted, ever. I want to continue.”
The biggest issue facing Puglisi and other area officials for the near future is the pending closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan, which contribute $800,000 annually to the town’s budget. Puglisi said she was “shocked” when the news broke on January 9, particularly since Entergy is only in the third year of a 10-year pilot agreement with Cortlandt.
“That wasn’t on my radar, not now,” Puglisi conceded. “I still think the host community should have been told in advance. I think we deserved a heads-up.”
Losing the town’s largest taxpayer and largest employer won’t be easy, Puglisi admitted, but she said the town will be hiring an economic consultant to look at properties that are zoned commercial or industrial that could be developed and pick up some of slack of the lost $32 million Indian Point revenue to the community.
“Will the Town of Cortlandt be able to sustain and survive the 2% hit to the budget? Sure, but why should we have to?” she said. “We have been all over the place telling them about our saga.”
The hallmark of Puglisi’s administration has been the town’s property tax record, which she often publicizes, showing an average of one percent increase annually. Next year, Puglisi is proposing a 1.25% tax hike.
She explained the town has always been under the state’s two percent tax cap, resulting in tax rebate checks for some residents. She stressed the town’s reserve fund has increased from $5 million to $16 million under her watch and Cortlandt has never had a deficit.
“All together we’re in good shape. We like to pay as you go,” she said. “I stand by our town financial record for the past 26 years.”
In terms of major accomplishments during her tenure, Puglisi mentioned the acquisition of the Cortlandt Town Hall, the designation of a Metro-North train station in Cortlandt and the implementation of the emergency 911 system, in conjunction with Advanced Life Support paramedics.
Over the next two years, Puglisi said the town is looking at bringing an aquatic park, including zip lines and a boardwalk, to a former rock quarry in Verplanck on property that the town acquired from Con Edison. A new town DPW and recreational fields are also in the works there. In addition, a trail network system is being built behind the town pool and Puglisi has her eye on an indoor ice skating rink at the current ShopRite location on Route 6 once the new supermarket is finished in front of the Cortlandt Town Center.
As for her Republican opponent, Liam Carroll, Puglisi questioned his ability to run Cortlandt’s government when he hasn’t attended any Town Board meetings or asked to be appointed to any town committees.
“You should have some prior knowledge of the government, especially when you start criticizing the government,” Puglisi said. “It’s a democracy and everyone has a right to seek public office. I applaud people who want to seek public office. In my case, I was a councilwoman for four years. I attended Town Board meetings as a homeowner group president. I was involved on school board committees in Lakeland. I personally think it’s a prerequisite.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/