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Town Board is Ignoring the Validity and Sanctity of the Library Vote
Dear Editor:
In November, voters passed a referendum giving the Butterfield Library an annual budget. The election was never contested publicly; however the Town Board has decided not to honor the provisions of the referendum. Why?
The Supervisor of the Town Board, Bill Mazzuca, has offered no reason for the Town Board's action other than his personal concern about the validity of the election. He also did not answer why, if he felt there were problems with the election, he has not contested it in a public forum. Because the Board never publicly contested the results of the election, election fraud cannot be claimed as a reason to ignore an approved referendum.
This is not about the library. This is about the Town Board privately overturning the results of an uncontested election. If the Town Board can do this with the library budget, what is stopping them from doing it in other elections? How does the Town Board have the authority to overturn a referendum approved by voters without public notification?
The Town Board's action has consequences for the tax payers. Because the Town Board is withholding voter approved funds, the library will have to go to court to retrieve those funds. How does the Town Board justify the use of public funds to defend its position in court, considering the vote? The Town Board made this decision independently. Let them pay for its defense in court independently as well.
Whether or not you agree with the library budget is not the issue here. The validity and sanctity of our vote is the issue. There are legal avenues to pursue if election fraud is suspected, but ignoring a voter approved referendum without public notification is not a viable alternative.
Kara Bickham, MD
Cold Spring
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