Mr. Russell, you "support a cost conservative economic policy that still includes capital maintenance and reinvestment" , in other words, higher taxes. I think we've got enough of that without your help, thank you, just the same.

If you don't include capital maintenance and reinvestment you end up with water that is undrinkable, roads that become unusable, and equipment that breaks down. I don't understand why anyone would have a problem with that statement. Board members screaming aren't the answer that much is certain.

Peter,
We all know that in these difficult financial times that controlling taxes and ensuring proper use of our tax dollars is the primary concern of most village residents. The financial mismanagement and lack of accountability for our tax dollars identified in the Comptroller?s report are inexcusable. Taxpayers see the waste and just don?t want to have to pay twice for a building with deficiencies. Why should they? Why not have a certified audit to determine whether monies we bonded were used properly and, if not, hold someone accountable? I believe that the village needs a long-term capital expenditure program with a true plan for projects in the future. But we need much more than that. We need to identify ways to control and possibly cut expenses. We need competent financial people who produce accurate financial reports and can advise the board in ways to better budget and manage taxpayer monies. And we need a board that will ensure there are adequate controls in place to protect our tax dollars.

I witnessed the "shouting match" Mr Russell refers to.

A DPW employee, backed up by two other DPW employees (I am told that none of them live in the Village) was verbally attacking a Village resident who was complaining about his taxes and paying twice to rebuild the DPW garage. The Mayor came and berated the Village resident for his language.

The whole thing was pretty disgusting.

WHY NOT VOTING COSTS YOU (and every other taxpayer) MONEY

There's a reason why we're having all this trouble in our village. A small group of people with vested interests have co-opted our village government. It's been going on for years. They have been able to do this because not enough of the rest of us vote!

Read the Audit! Decide for yourself if this is the type of village government you want. Are YOU paying higher taxes so that they can line their cronies pockets with your money? Think about it...

And Don't forget to vote!

(Hopefully you will vote for Barbara Gosda and Jan Smith!)

Audit:
http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/villages/2012/cornwallonhudson.pdf

Frank,

>>>Read the Audit! Decide for yourself if this is the type of village government you want. Are YOU paying higher taxes so that they can line their cronies pockets with your money? Think about it...<<<

Sorry Frank but that is absolute Balderdash. The only thing I can surmise from your post is you have a serious lack of comprehension or more likely you have read NOTHING. Frank that supposed $207,000 has also been accounted for to the penny. Please folks do a little research before you post as you only look like fools when you post things that are factually untrue.

One poster even has alluded to a former board member financing his new home through nefarious deeds through the village government. Do you look under you bed at night for the boggeyman? The asininity of some of these accusations are sheer paranoia.

Ms Thomas
You completely misrepresented the facts. The village resident you speak of was screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. The Mayor requested that all DPW employees go home and never spoke to the said village resident. In the mean time Trustee Argenio stood by and did absolutely nothing to defuse the situation.
Your misrepresentation of facts is absolutely disgusting.

That is precisely the problem our trustees have a notion that when they are elected they are elected to nod to the employees of the village and not the tax payer. And so that is why they think they have an argument and can verbaly attack the taxpayer and steal campaign signs. But

I was also present during this fight. The fight did in fact have 3 DPW employees physically surrounding 1 resident. The resident was screaming that they were worried about their jobs, and the residents were worried about their taxes. At some point both sides started to curse at one another. The Mayor DID tell the employees to go home, but it was the resident he reprimanded, not those who are municipal employees.

The $207,000 may be accounted for, but WHAT was it spent on? The LDC/builder contract calls for the Builder to take on all costs for equipment, materials, construction equipment, heat, water, and tools as per item 6 of the contract -

Did we pay the Builder the full amount of the contract price, and then also pick up for the cost of things determined was the Builder's responsibility per this contract?

Mr. Russell: I didn't know much about where you stood on the issues until this letter. If you think all the negativity is coming solely from Trustees Gosda and Argenio, then you are either not paying attention or you are choosing not to see that just as much negativity has been coming from the current majority. In my opinion, Trustee Kane has been a constant source of negative politics over his two years as a trustee.

From your letter, it seems apparent to me that you are already strongly aligned with the current majority and you support their positions on: the DPW building, bonding more money and continuing the failed financial policies the village is currently practicing. If I have misread your positions, I would like to hear how they differ from the current majority?s. I would also like to know what expertise you have in municipal finances, because that is what we sorely need in our village government at this time.

I did read the entire report - from cover to cover - and carefully, too...

What I read was a report which detailed how close to 1,000,000 dollars of taxpayer money (probably more than that with interest) was wasted on a DPW building

* that should never have been built
* that might require hundreds of thousands more just to get a C of O
* which will forever vulnerable to Hudson River flooding
* where laws intended to protect taxpayers were routinely sidestepped

What I am afraid of is that not enough people will stand up and vote these people out of office!

Vote for "Protect The Taxpayer Party"

Jan Smith and Barbara Gosda

Mr. Russell - Are you willing to serve the residents to find out how our money was spent, and try to assist us with NOT throwing more money at a project that the Comptrollers report even deems was done improperly?

Mr. Russell - Are you going to align yourself with a Mayor who limits public comment to 3 minutes, and then begins to interrupt them at 2.5 minutes to "wrap it up"?

I have known Barbara Gosda all my life - She is a true lady. If you see her fighting know that she is fighting for the best interest of those she took a fiduciary oath to serve - The Taxpayers

Mr. Russell. You say you want to work for all the village residents yet you have alighned yourself with Mr. Kane. Mr. Kane said the same thing the first time he ran for Trustee. Having lost that election he sold himself out in order to get elected on his next try. It appears your taking the same route.