Politics on the Hudson

The nine-member Putnam County Legislature has unanimously voted to override County Executive Robert Bondi’s veto of additional funding for a popular septic repair program for homeowners.

The legislature wants to spend an additional $2 million in watershed funds designated for protecting the drinking water of 9 million people. Bondi vetoed the measure saying it constituted a gift to individual homeowners. To date, 130 such repairs have been made in Putnam at the direction of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

The Putnam board also sent a letter to the parties involved in the watershed agreement asking for permission to spend the money.

But the gridlock continues because under Putnam’s Charter the money can’t be spent without Bondi’s agreement.