Nancy Montgomery - Putnam County Legislator-Philipstown and Putnam Valley

09/02/2026

Some really good news from last night’s Putnam County Legislature meeting.
The Legislature unanimously approved another $150,000 food-security initiative that I put forward, supporting organizations helping Putnam residents who are struggling with food insecurity.

This is the second food-security initiative I put forward in just a few weeks, and I’m really grateful to my colleagues for supporting both.
I keep coming back to the same belief about public money: taxpayer dollars should work for Putnam residents. At a time when Putnam is having a larger conversation about our substantial fund balance, I believe this is part of the answer - investing those dollars back into our communities through services and programs that people actually use and need.

Not every return to taxpayers has to come in the form of a check. Sometimes it looks like food on a family’s table, meals for a senior, stronger local food pantries, or a community organization having the resources to say yes when someone needs help.

This is what public money is for: public good.
And I’m especially happy that this one passed unanimously.

08/26/2026

Happy International Dog Day to Scooby. 🐾❤️

We think he’s an Irish Setter.

Mostly.

Probably.

But the truth is, we really don’t know exactly what Scooby is made up of - where all those genes traveled from, what crossed with what, or how many different places and histories came together to produce this magnificent red-haired creature who somehow ended up here, in our family.

And I kind of love that.

Because really, how many of us know exactly what we’re made of?

We are all mixtures of people and places, migrations and journeys, families who left somewhere and arrived somewhere else. Different histories crossing paths until, eventually, there was us.

Scooby doesn’t care much about any of that.

He just knows he’s home. ❤️

Happy International Dog Day from our possibly-Irish, somehow -American, unquestionably-beloved Scooby. 🇮🇪🐕🇺🇸

08/11/2026

One year ago today, I lost my brother to su***de.
I have known a lot of loss in my life. More than I sometimes know how to put into words. And I have learned that grief does not come in neat categories, nor can one loss, or the way someone died really be measured against another.
But losing a sibling is different.
A sibling is part of your beginning.
They knew the house you grew up in. The people who raised you. The stories no one else remembers quite the same way. They knew versions of you that existed long before the rest of the world came along. There is a shared language between siblings - sometimes spoken, sometimes not - that reaches all the way back to childhood.
When a sibling dies, part of that history disappears with them.
And when the death is su***de, grief carries another dimension altogether.
There are questions that may never have answers. Conversations you replay. Things you wish you had understood. Things you wonder if you missed. You find yourself searching backward for some clue that might suddenly make the incomprehensible make sense.
A year later, I am learning that perhaps some of it will always remain a mystery.
Su***de reminds me how little we can truly know about what is happening inside another human being.
And maybe that should make us quieter.
Quieter with our judgments.
Quieter with our assumptions.
Quieter with our certainty about what someone else should be able to handle.
And better at listening.
Not listening so that we can answer.
Not listening so that we can fix.
Just listening long enough for someone to know they have been heard.
I wish I could have one more conversation with my brother. I wish I could ask more questions. I wish I had understood things then that I understand differently now.
Mostly, today, I just miss him. I’ll hold the 8 of us he left behind and his beautiful family a litter closer today.
And I hope that in remembering him, I can become a person who listens a little more carefully to the people who are still here.

08/04/2026

Over the past year, Putnam County’s Adaptation Working Group has been developing a plan to help our communities prepare for flooding, extreme weather, heat, and other climate-related challenges. As a member of the Working Group, I’ve been glad to take part in this process - but this next phase depends on hearing from the community.

The Draft Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Plan is now available for public review, and your input truly matters.

Please take a few minutes to review the plan and complete the public comment survey. Whether you are a resident, business owner, community organization, or someone who works in Putnam County, your experience and perspective can help strengthen the final plan.

Please take the survey - and please share it with others. Comments will be accepted through September 15, 2026.

Review the plan and complete the survey here:
https://putnamcountyny.gov/ccarp

Comments may also be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:

Putnam County Planning Department
841 Fair Street
Carmel, NY 10512

07/29/2026

It’s been a long time coming….

I am very happy that Putnam County is expanding Putnam On-Demand microtransit service to the western side of the county.
I’m thrilled to have worked directly with the Planning Department on the long term goal of improving transportation, and I look forward to seeing the final proposal come before the Legislature. I have spent a large part of my time in public office fighting for better, safer transportation for western Putnam, and this is a tremendous step forward.

Congratulations to Commissioner Barosa and the entire Planning Department. I have witnessed your hard work and commitment to the people of Putnam County for decades, and this may be one of your finest achievements yet. I’m truly excited to see it happen.

07/05/2026

05/30/2026

05/14/2026

This morning I read a line in the New York Times that stayed with me:

“The way we care for dogs might inspire us to care more about other humans.”

And this part especially hit home:

“You know how sometimes you’ll go into a store and they’ll have a little jar that has dog treats for the dogs? I think that stores that have food should have food for people who can’t afford food. Like just some bread - bread for if you don’t have money. And I swear people will not take advantage of it.” Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/podcasts/modern-love-lessons-from-ramy-youssefs-dog.html?unlocked_article_code=1.iVA.eyJY.pqYs9hWWDGny&smid=nytcore-ios-share

It made me think about how the community came together last night.

Thank you to everyone who came out to discuss food insecurity in Putnam County - our food pantries, nonprofits, volunteers, county departments, and community members doing the hard work every day to help neighbors in need.

What we heard was clear: food insecurity is affecting seniors, working families, children, and residents facing transportation and access barriers throughout our county. But we also saw something hopeful - people willing to come together, listen, collaborate, and care.

Maybe compassion and trust is actually simpler than we make it.

Thank you again to everyone who showed up last night with honesty, ideas, and heart. ❤️ Here’s a link to the Health committee important discussion that begins at 4:17:

https://www.youtube.com/live/G35QIet9q4o?si=pmnLGQG8L-pTBh1X

05/08/2026

What a beautiful morning at Graymoor celebrating community, fellowship, recovery, and the start of another softball season for the Brothers Christopher at St. Christopher’s Inn.

It was an honor to join the Friars, staff, alumni, community partners, and residents for a gathering that reflected the very best of Putnam County - compassion, connection, second chances, and support for one another.

For the Brothers Christopher, this field represents so much more than softball. Team sports help foster confidence, accountability, discipline, communication, and community - all essential parts of healing and recovery.

Thank you to the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement for your continued commitment to serving individuals on their recovery journey and for welcoming all of us to be part of such a meaningful tradition. ⚾️

04/16/2026

The Putnam County Department of Planning is welcoming all those who live or work in Putnam County to join them for a virtual Lunch & Learn session on Tuesday, April 21st at 12:00pm!

This educational webinar will provide an overview of Putnam County's Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CCARP). Attendees will have the opportunity to:
1️⃣ Learn about Putnam County's current climate adaptation and resilience planning process.
2️⃣ Ask questions about the Plan and planning process.
3️⃣ Provide feedback on climate adaptation strategies.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/PutnamCCARPCommunity

Putnam County is partnering with the Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC) to develop the CCARP, fully funded by the NYS DEC Climate Smart Communities Coordinator Services Program. The Plan aims to support a safer, healthier, and more resilient future in Putnam County.

To learn more about the project and stay informed, please visit https://putnamcountyny.gov/ccarp.