State Comptroller’s fiscal score reinforces my support for Lucas

Dear Editor,

We hear the phrase “fiscally conservative” all the time, particularly during election season. But here in North Salem, we have something more meaningful than a campaign slogan: we have results that residents can actually look at.

The New York State Comptroller’s Office recently released its Fiscal Stress Monitoring System results for local governments for the fiscal year ending in 2025. The system looks at important financial indicators including fund balance, operating deficits, cash position, short-term borrowing and fixed costs.

North Salem received a fiscal stress score of 0.

That is what fiscal conservatism looks like to me.

This isn’t a political party grading our town. This is the Office of New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli independently evaluating the financial condition of municipalities across New York.

When Warren Lucas became supervisor, North Salem was in a very different financial position. Warren had spoken about the lack of adequate fund balance and cash reserves at the time, as well as borrowing practices that left the town paying debt years later. During his tenure, he has focused on controlling spending, rebuilding the town’s financial reserves, pursuing grant funding and reducing the need to place additional costs on North Salem taxpayers.

The Comptroller’s fiscal monitoring results give residents an independent measure of where North Salem stands.

To me, being fiscally conservative doesn’t mean never spending money. It means spending taxpayers’ money responsibly, maintaining healthy reserves, looking for grants and outside funding, avoiding unnecessary debt, and making sure our town remains on sound financial footing for the future.

That’s the kind of fiscal stewardship I want to continue in North Salem.

On Nov. 3, I will be voting for Warren Lucas for North Salem town supervisor, and I encourage my fellow residents to look at the Comptroller’s numbers and Warren’s record as they make their own decision.

-Bobby Sherman, North Salem