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August 1 Letter Re Sam
Davis Riddled with Oft-Repeated Misstatements
Dear Editor:
Joan Mercado's letter in your August 1 edition was riddled with oft repeated misstatements. I'd like to set the record straight.
Ms Mercado blamed me for the dangerously low general fund. She wrote "The General Fund had about $1.8 million in it when Sam Davis took office. Now it contains on about $300,000 or less." Though her numbers are inaccurate, she is correct in saying that the fund should be much higher. However, it was the other four members of the board that voted to raid the fund and leave it perilously low. I had nothing to do with that. I also recommended that we not give increases to our management personnel this year. The other board members voted to give them a four percent increase and cut the blacktop budget instead.
I am the only Board member fighting to keep the development of McMansions in check. And I am the only Board member fighting to get the state to change the way we fund our schools. This will help the Mercados remain in this Town along with many others.
I do want to have a photovoltaic system installed to supply about one third of Town Hall's current electric needs. We have received a grant for roughly two thirds of the cost of the system. It would cost our residents a one-time fee of less than $3 per person and then would save our residents money every year going forward.
Ms. Mercado wrote that I appointed my "live in partner of 20 years, as" my "personal secretary at $46,000 instead of the official $32,000 to start." This is an outright lie that has been told and retold. First, Dr. Powell is not my live in partner, as Ms. Mercado well knows. Second, and more importantly, the salary for her job was set by the prior administration at $46,000. There was no range, and no starting salary.
Ms Mercado also thoroughly misunderstands what occurred
in the court case and the laws involved. Judge Lippman ordered that my hiring of
Dr. Powell was not unethical. By definition his order means that there was no
"appearance of impropriety" which is an ethical breach. The fact that some were
trying to make the case that I somehow breached ethical behavior does not make
it so. Further, to say that in spite of this fact there was abuse of power is
absurd and intentionally inflammatory.
Sam Davis
Putnam Valley Supervisor
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