The WIN before the win...

We gathered at Pancho's and Gringo's Mexican Restaurant in Oregon Corners in anticipation of a positive result in the local election race. Early voting proved very strong for both Allison and me, but by the end of the night, it was clear that this race was much closer than anybody could have anticipated. Many people came out—not to celebrate a clear victory at the polls, but to celebrate an almost year-long stretch of activating and focusing on how to rebuild and reconnect Putnam Valley.

The day before the election, I took the day off to recover and reflect on the journey to get here and where everything started. I knew that no matter what the results were at the polls, I had a message I wanted to convey to everybody involved and engaged in rebuilding Putnam Valley through a change in leadership and actively finding ways for ourselves as residents to become individual contributors in the local civic process.

I needed to remind everybody who was questioning the numbers and feeling dejected by a less-than-definitive result that we had already won! This win was not from voters showing up at the polls or a clear, decisive show of force and readiness to change our town. The win was this entire journey that we have taken and the engagement that we have sparked—not only among the political candidates and residents, but between residents all across Putnam Valley, activating and asking themselves the question: Have I done enough to protect my town and build it into the place where I want to remain and live for generations to come?

Regardless of when the absentee ballots are confirmed or a recount is completed, it must be said that the true win—no matter the outcome—is us banding together the way we have over the last 10 months and the conversation we have initiated. This conversation will only grow in participants as more and more people realize the importance of starting over and no longer accepting the status quo of local governments that appear to be working but really only follow a template which obscures the view of our residents and keeps us divided, instead of focusing on what our leaders are doing for us and whether they will ever be accountable for the lies, misinformation, and lack of respect they show our community in the way they govern.

The days of "That's just how Putnam Valley works" are over because we have started something that is necessary for every resident here—the ability to have a conversation with all who will come to the table to engage and learn directly from each other and, more importantly, learn how we can all support each other as a whole. There will never need to be hope for change and wishful thinking because we are now going to work together to inform, share thoughts, concerns, and ideas that we can agree on as the way we want to move forward for Putnam Valley.

Remember that no person in government will ever have the power to suppress our ability to organize and ensure that we are all on the same page (or at the very least, working to find common ground) for ourselves, and we will not be placated, bullied, or ignored again—NO MATTER WHO IS IN OFFICE!

Want to learn more about what an active community does to stay informed and build a better home? Contact me directly to learn what ways you can ease into your civic duty of making your voice heard and standing united as one town, one people, one valley!