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Keep the fate of town posts in hands of voters

By RUSS PAGE

The towns of Villenova and Ripley are considering a change for the Highway Superintendent position to go from elected by the people to appointed by the Town Board. The New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways Inc. opposes this change.

Voter accountability: According to the state comptroller the single largest expense in New York state’s towns is maintaining their local roads.By having an elected highway superintendent the voters decide directly the person who will administer the largest share of their tax dollars.

As a full-time elected official with this sole purpose in mind they are constantly in touch with their constituents’ needs. If the position is no longer elected town residents will lose the ability to make a direct change for themselves.

Local service and safety: The assumption often made is that taxpayer dollars will be saved. The position of Highway Superintendent is a full-time job with many overtime hours worked in response to highway emergencies. By law in an elected position you are not able to receive overtime. If the position becomes appointed the Town Board will not only determine who would fill the position they would also potentially have the option of whether or not they provide payment of overtime.

The bottom line: It does not seem wise to take the power from the people to elect and transfer that power to the Town Board.

Keep your power to choose!

Russ Page of Leicester is president of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc., the state’s largest transportation association representing Highway Superintendents in 932 towns most of whom are elected officials responsible for maintaining local highways.

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