Letter To The Editor – Opposed To A Sole Assessor For Grafton

Dear Editor:
Recently, the Grafton Town Board introduced Local Law # 1, which would replace the Town’s three elected assessors with a single elected assessor appointed by the Town Board. They scheduled a Public Hearing on the issue just one week after this introduction. Seven people showed up to speak strongly against this proposed law. No one spoke in favor of it. The Board then voted to hold the public comment period for this proposed law open until June 18, by written correspondence to the Town Board.
I, for one, am strongly opposed to this proposed law. It takes away the right of the Town residents to choose the people they want to be responsible for the Town’s assessment responsibilities and places it in hands of people who may or may not have a political agenda. And while I believe the current members of the Town Board are all good people and this is probably not the case at this time, it opens up such appointments in the future to such concerns. I also believe the Board erred in scheduling the public hearing so close to the introduction of the proposed law. In one week’s time, the only notice the Town residents had to formulate an opinion and express that opinion, was by a legal notice, and a small notice posted on the door of the Town Hall. Since the Eastwick Press is a weekly publication, the article on the Town Board meeting that contained word of the proposed law and public hearing, could not even appear until issue dated one day after the hearing. If it were not for word of mouth, there may have well been no one there to speak against it.
I hope residents of the Town will join me in an effort to defeat this proposed law. I call upon the members of the Town Board to reject this matter or, at the very least, schedule a public referendum so all residents of the Town of Grafton will be afforded the opportunity to express their opinion at the polls.
I have also been informed by the Town Supervisor that the next scheduled meeting of the Town Board has been postponed one week until Thursday, June 17. I would hope residents of the Town would take this opportunity to speak during the public comment section of the meeting, and express their views on this matter.
Sincerely,
Doug la Rocque
Richmond Road, Cropseyville