Editor, The Spotlight:
Supervisor Clarkson’s referendum to abolish the elective office of superintendent of highways and fill it by appointment is contrary to the public good. His continuing campaign to take away our right to vote for superintendent of highways, town clerk and receiver of taxes is a blatant power grab that must be defeated.
Abdication of our right to elect one of the highest paid town officials and cede control of the Highway Department budgeted funds to the supervisor is foolish. Voting rights are being attacked across the country. Bethlehem citizens must decide that consolidation of power in the supervisor is unacceptable. Balance of power with elected officials accountable to the people must continue.
There’s a reason only 59 of 932 towns statewide allow appointment of the highway superintendent: it’s a bad idea. Appointed officials are all-too-often associated with nepotism, cronyism, no-show jobs and avoidable rancorous public debate.
The supervisor claims it’s a simple process to reverse abdication of voting rights. Truthfully, another local law to reverse must be proposed, with Town Board approval, and another election conducted. It’s unlikely a supervisor who ends your right to vote would offer it back ever.
There’s been discussion about making the highway superintendent a civil service position. Potential abuse exists in that requirements to take the exam and the contents can be designed and manipulated so that only the supervisor’s preferred candidate would be eligible. We could never remove that person, if necessary, as we can through elections.
The supervisor suggests a “professional” should be highway superintendent. It insinuates department employees with many years of experience who have completed required college courses are not qualified. No guarantee exists his appointee would have “professional qualifications.” It’s senseless for the supervisor’s appointed commissioner of public works, who oversees the Water/Sewer Department, to assume the responsibilities of highway superintendent. Knowledgeable employees in the Highway Department have the expertise to do the job.
Responsibilities of the Highway Department and Water/Sewer Department are substantially different therefore, the offices should remain separate. Don’t let unsubstantiated murky rhetoric about cost effectiveness and functional efficiency deceive you. No cost savings will be realized since an appointee’s salary may be higher if the supervisor deemed it “necessary,” and a civil service position may be created at a higher salary grade level. The supervisor may determine the commissioner of public works deserves a pay raise based on oversight of two departments. Sharing equipment doesn’t result in efficient operations, it necessitates replacing worn out equipment more frequently. The way employees perform their jobs improves efficiency without cost to taxpayers.
Is it the supervisor’s intent to have as few voters as possible participate in the election? Voters aren’t accustomed to April elections. One polling site with little parking at Town Hall for everyone is inconvenient for a majority of voters especially elderly and incapacitated citizens. The ability to pick up absentee ballots is restricted to five days during limited odd hours at Town Hall.
Don’t allow his tactics and deliberately planned obstacles deter you from defeating this power grab. Keep elected officials in the public domain. When voting is made more difficult it shows the individual cannot compete on the merits. The “great and powerful Oz” is not who we need supervising Bethlehem.
George T. Harder
Delmar