Credit: Suzanne C. Ouellette
For over two decades Gregg Pulver has held public office in Dutchess County. Now he is unsure about running again. As he grapples with the decision to run for comptroller, he is not only reflecting on his last decade of service but looking forward to the future.
After losing his position in the Dutchess County Legislature to Chris Drago, Pulver was appointed as Dutchess County’s comptroller, replacing his predecessor Robin Lois who moved on to a position in the state comptroller’s office. Pulver represented the legislature’s 19th district for 10 years, serving as the legislature’s chairman for the last six of those years.
“It’s interesting; I speak in front of the Participation in Government class twice a year in Pine Plains and did once at Marist College. Most times the question comes up: What are you the most proud of? What have you done? I think that the one piece of legislation that I am most proud of is making sure that Dutchess County has an animal abuse registry,” Pulver said.
In 2019, the Dutchess County legislature passed a law requiring that people who have committed crimes against animals must be registered on a list in the sheriff’s department barring them from owning a pet for 15 years. Only a little more than a third of counties in New York have an animal abuse registry.
Pulver also noted that he was proud of his ability to stay consistent. In his time as a legislator, Pulver said that taxes were lowered every time the legislature was involved in the budget. He also said that while county taxes in general decreased, tax breaks were provided to veterans, fire company volunteers, and seniors.
His time as legislative chair was not without difficulty. He faced pushback from his colleagues when he wanted to establish an independent redistricting commission. He joked that this may have led to his downfall, but maintained that he believed this was the correct decision. According to Pulver, creating an independent redistricting commission was more difficult than enacting term limits for county legislators or navigating the financing to build a new jail.
Pulver has held public office for decades, beginning on the Pine Plains school board, moving on to town supervisor, county legislature, and now comptroller.
In his first week as comptroller, Pulver has found that the office is highly involved in every aspect of life in Dutchess County, and it is a responsibility he is not taking lightly. He has hired fellow Pine Plains resident Ibis Guzman to assist him at the comptroller’s office.
“I want to be sure the comptroller’s office stays apolitical,” Pulver said. “Regardless of who is in office, it’s the comptroller’s job to make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed.”
Not only does Pulver want to ensure that the comptroller is not only finding faults and errors, but is helping the Dutchess County community. He wants to go out and educate people and local organizations about the role of the comptroller’s office. He wants to be sure that businesses and organizations are receiving help rather than being retroactively corrected.
“I’ve always wanted to help my community. I’ve always wanted to do stuff that mattered,” Pulver said. However, when asked if he’d be a candidate for the comptroller position in a special election in November, he simply said, “I have yet to make up my mind.”