A Historic Endorsement, and a Promise to Putnam's Workforce
Today I'm honored to announce that CSEA, the union representing Putnam County's own government employees, has endorsed my campaign for Putnam County Executive.
Think about what that means.
This isn't an outside group weighing in on county politics. This is the very workforce of Putnam County government, the men and women who plow our roads, staff our offices, answer our calls, and care for our most vulnerable residents, telling us they're ready for new leadership. The people who work every day under Kevin Byrne's administration are asking for a change at the top. That's about as direct a verdict on the current administration as voters will get.
Why This Endorsement Matters
County government doesn't run on press releases or talking points. It runs on people. The employees who show up every day to keep Putnam functioning. When those employees are heard, supported, and given what they need to do their jobs well, residents get better service. When they're not, everyone feels it: slower response times, worn-down morale, and a culture where problems get buried instead of fixed.
CSEA members know this better than anyone, because they live it. Their decision to back this campaign is a statement that the current culture in Putnam County government isn't working, for them and for the residents they serve.
What I Told Putnam's Workforce
Both Kevin Byrne and I sat down for interviews with CSEA's leadership in county government, and members were given the opportunity to weigh in before the vote. Here's the heart of what I told them:
I'm a former CSEA member myself. I know what it means to depend on fair wages, safe working conditions, and leadership that actually listens. As a business leader and organizational behavior manager, I've also seen what happens when an organization gives its people the tools, trust, and resources to succeed, and what happens when it doesn't.
My approach to leading Putnam County government is built on servant leadership: listening first, holding people accountable, and respecting the people doing the work. As County Executive, I'll keep an open door with labor. Department heads will be expected to address workplace concerns directly, professionally, and promptly. Safety, dignity, and respect won't be optional.
That commitment comes with specifics:
Pay that keeps pace with inflation, so county workers don't fall behind as the cost of living rises.
A fair resolution to the retiree health care challenges in the current contract, honoring the people who spent their careers serving this county.
Real accountability for workplace culture. I've heard directly from county employees about unsafe conditions and leadership that feels unreachable. Those concerns deserve action, not sympathy.
The Bigger Picture
None of this stands apart from the rest of my vision for Putnam County. The Putnam Possible Project, building career pathways through a community college and trade school, growing agribusiness and tourism while protecting our farms and lakes, supporting smart development near transit, and keeping young people and working families able to afford to stay here, depends entirely on a county government that works. And a county government only works when the people running it respect the people staffing it.
I'm grateful to CSEA for their trust, and I take it as a responsibility, not a victory lap. Putnam County's employees deserve a leader who listens, and I intend to be that leader, starting on day one.
Together, Putnam is POSSIBLE.
Brett Yarris, Candidate for Putnam County Executive