"Working Together" for Putnam Valley

Alison Jolicoeur and I both recognized the issues we saw with our local government and the importance of issues that faced not only us but countless other residents of Putnam Valley. To pretend that local government doesn't play the most important part in our community's ability to thrive is an easily dismissed but long-term habit of apathy from millions of Americans trying to survive and thrive in today's trying times. With this recognition and support from other open-minded residents**,** we decided to form an Independent Party to represent a non-partisan movement ensuring all who are willing to drop their labels can have a seat at the table to build a better community for all of PV.

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The Working Together Party line represents a fundamental shift in how we approach local governance in Putnam Valley. I'm running because I believe our community deserves leadership that puts neighbors before party politics, and I've seen how divisive partisan labels can alienate people who don't fit neatly into political boxes.

While overarching ideologies may align at some points, there's an alienation that happens when we force absolute adherence to party labels. There are people who use their party as a mask for hate, and others who use it as a mask for moral superiority - but in effect, neither approach addresses the issues we face locally. We must understand that now may be the last time our world looks this way, without overwhelming influence from bad actors, elites who don't deal with day-to-day struggles, and technology that has already advanced to a point where false narratives and imagery can be generated that we won't be able to discern from real or fake.

The Working Together approach means suspending judgment long enough to truly listen to each other. It means recognizing that the longtime resident worried about preserving PV's character and the newcomer seeking to understand our traditions both love this place. Whether you've called PV home for generations or just arrived, whether you're Republican, Democrat, or Independent, we're all here fighting for the same things - navigating permitting processes fairly, protecting our lake health, maintaining safe neighborhoods, generating revenue from other means than property tax, finding ways to prevent Putnam Valley from being unaffordable to live in, and preserving the community character that drew us here.

Local issues like road maintenance, transparent budget processes, reasonable permitting, exploring alternative revenue sources, keeping housing costs manageable, and maintaining PV's unique aesthetic affect all of us equally. These aren't Democratic or Republican problems - they're Putnam Valley problems that require Putnam Valley solutions built through collaboration, not division.

The Working Together line is my commitment to prove that effective local leadership comes from bringing people together around our shared values and common goals, rather than dividing us along party lines that don't serve our community's real needs.