|
Real Butterfield Issue is that Town Has no Power to Annul Legally- Certified Election
Dear Editor,
The real issue regarding the Butterfield Library's recently passed referendum is that the Town Board does NOT have the power to annul a legallycertified election.
If the Town objected to the law or the amount of public notice about the referendum, they should have addressed it prior to the vote or at the very least, before the election was officially certified.
At this point, discussion about the law or what the Board of Elections did or didn't do is moot. The referendum passed and the election was certified by the legal governing body.
Even if you've never used the Library, or even if you voted against the referendum, do you feel comfortable with this misuse of power by our elected officials? What happens when it is YOUR issue? What if the Town Board doesn't like a vote YOU supported?
The Town Board is trying to disenfranchise 1086 voters who made sure they were informed and voted "Yes" on Proposition One. Please keep in mind there were 973 people who voted against the referendum - how did they learn about the vote? They educated themselves by reading information in the Journal News, Putnam County News & Recorder, Putnam Courier, and so forth ... and I respect their vote.
In our democracy, we have the right to demand integrity of our elected officials and to protest their misuse of power. Most of all, we have the right to vote and have our votes upheld.
Phil and Donna Cotennec
Philipstown
| 
