Background

Served as a trustee of the village of Brewster from 1997-2005. Mayor of Brewster from 2005-2007. Unsuccessful candidate for Southeast Town Supervisor in 2007. Currently running for NYS Assembly. Describes himself as a "Lifelong Republican", but registered with the party in 1996. Was cross endorsed by Republic and and Democrats while village trustee. Ran as a Democrat for Town Supervisor and State Assembly.

Professional Positions

Accomplishments

Installed camera on Main Street in Brewster. Created Village Police Force. Unveiled a "Master Plan" for Brewster which included a day laborer hiring center, although none of the plan has been adopted.

Criticism

Criticism stems from Brewster's struggles with illegal immigration. Some have said he did not do enough to tackle the problem. He also unveiled a controversial plan to distribute identification cards to illegal aliens, which was defeated. Fiscally, his administration made a million dollar accounting error that was later corrected. Water fees and taxes were tripled and quadrupled in some area to help pay for infrastructure improvements to Brewster, and the local police force, which cost way more then anticipated. Finally, even as crime was on the rise, Degnan resisted efforts to arm his police officers.

Additional Information

Biography Links

• Official Homepage
• John Degnan negative site