Putnam Legislature adopts 2027 budget after making cuts to county executive’s spending plan

CARMEL The Putnam Legislature adopted a budget for fiscal year 2027 Wednesday night carrying a $32.7 million tax levy following an arduous four-hour meeting. County Executive Kevin Byrne’s proposed $229 million budget for next year, called for the reduction of the property tax levy from $45.2 million to $38.7 million. Legislature Chair Dan Birmingham said $30 million in fund balance helped lower the tax levy by 20 percent to $32.7 million — the largest reduction in 20 years. While the budget bodes well for Putnam taxpayers, it was Byrne and his staff who took it on the chin. A total of 50 resolutions were discussed by the nine-member governing body at the historic Putnam Courthouse during the meeting—data discussed during the past two and one-half weeks by the lawmakers while reviewing Byrne’s budget with a fine-toothed comb. Birmingham told his colleagues in 2022 when former County Executive Mary Ellen Odell left office, the executive’s office held a budget of $395,000 compared to B