Shelby resident will be backing strong candidates, while leaving some positions blank

Editor:

I have spent a lot of time examining which candidates will best serve Shelby. Here are the conclusions I’ve reached:

People who have not earned their position or held it responsibly will not get my vote, even if they run unopposed. An absence of votes is a statement in itself.

Linda Limina has my vote. She is not afraid to speak up. And she knows numbers. Considering the NYS Comptroller’s scathing audit in 2021, this is a critical need. I am very confident she will be taking a fine tooth comb to the bookkeeping, especially the missing past reports.

Darlene Rich has my vote. When I went to the town this summer to ask for help regarding the STAMP wastewater pipeline going through my yard, my emails to the current supervisor went unanswered, even when I gave him a print copy asking many questions. At the end of meetings, he is the first one to leave; he never stays long enough for people to speak with him.

Saying you are transparent and being transparent and available are two different things. But Darlene has been transparent and has helped me as often as she’s able, or pointed me in the right direction to people who offered help. She has always had a friendly word for everyone and responds to questions even at night on her own time. She sees the good in everyone. I’m certain that’s why she was so defensive when her former deputy endorsed someone else, though I am saddened that the conflict arose between them.

Maybe things are difficult for employees in Shelby because they regularly endure a power structure that seems insurmountable. Maybe it is more peaceful to just go along with things. But sometimes a person should challenge such structures, and they should question an impropriety when they see it. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, they say.

I will be writing in candidate John Pratt, directly under the name of Jeff Schiffer, not because I hold any personal animosity towards Mr. Schiffer, but because his silence and acquiescence to the current supervisor speaks loudly enough.

I was also put off by his most recent letter to the editor, in which he argued that all claims of harassment were “lies” – How does he know? I thought the investigation had not yet begun. A better official statement would be that you yourself did not know of harassment, but welcome any investigation. Also telling was Mr. Schiffer’s comment to, “Watch and see the progress in the near future,” as though that is our role as citizens: to sit back and watch things unfold; in other words…more of the same; it is like saying, We know best. You just don’t understand. It is up to us to decide these matters.

Such a tone is paternalistic and patronizing.

A lot of us have been doing more than just watching. We’ve tried to speak up and say, Please stop pushing through pet projects without the input of your constituents.

My other reason for writing in John Pratt is that he and Ed Zelazny are the ones on the board to most frequently ask hard questions and propose solutions promoting transparency and ethics. The Republican Committee decided not to endorse John this go around, leaving him to pay out of pocket for his own campaign. Maybe that is because John Pratt is not a yes man who will just go along with whatever proposal comes down the pipe. So to speak. That is the number one reason why I will write in his name on the ballot–write-ins are allowed at the bottom of the ballot under any open position.

And lastly, I’ll be voting for William Wolter. He’s a man of integrity, character, and hard work, and he knows his field, from how to run and maintain the equipment, to his know-how, to his depth in understanding the town’s varied needs.

While I can readily acknowledge Dale Root’s love of the community and certainly respect his large family’s standing in it, I do not believe he is the best person to be highway superintendent. Nor do I share Mr. Root’s philosophy regarding landowners’ rights.

Sometimes, the people in a town and their rights must be considered too, in my estimation. Billy Wolter’s background, training, experience, work ethic, and think-of-everyone philosophy make him an excellent candidate, and very well-suited for the job.

Whomever you choose on the ballot– or purposely leave blank– I hope you will join me in expressing one of our most jealously guarded rights: On Tuesday, November 7, please vote.

Karen Jones

Shelby