Murray residents turn out to meetings because they don’t trust government

Editor:

I attended the Murray public hearing on Dec. 19 to support the people in opposition to the property maintenance law. Not being from Murray, I didn’t feel the pressure to speak so I was able to listen and observe.

Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti gave a question and answer session that I though was completely out of his character. He was calm, although a few times he almost lost his act when questions from unhappy residents struck a nerve. I don’t know Mr. Vendetti personally but have seen him in action at the board of elections and he struck me as an aggressive attack dog fitting his reputation as to how he performs his job.

Over and over again he told the people that he would be coming after them for any code violations that are on the books. He would be driving the roads looking for them. That’s what he was hired for. He was critical of other code officers that only respond to complaints. He had the mayor of Holley speak in his support, then it was pointed out by a citizen that Mr. Vendetti and the Holley mayor were both out of compliance with their own properties.

It was now the Town Board’s turn to receive comments from the public. The town supervisor and the town attorney both went into stories about how they had received a notice from Mr. Vendetti about violations on their property.

That was followed up by a member of the public stating that there are sitting board members and their families that are in gross violation of codes that are not being served any notices.

My opinion of this Town Board is a combination of those old Westerns you watch and characters from “South Park” where the town is controlled by a corrupt land baron and the towns people are waiting for a hero like Gary Cooper (Joe Sidonio) to ride in and clean things up. Only this time the outlaws won round one. Seventy absentee ballots in one town when I think there were only 45 in the whole county for the sheriff’s election. The story will not end here.

There will be a sequel. The outgoing supervisor and incoming supervisor’s final remarks in the Hub article were worth 1,000 words. The public did not want this law and the Town Board defied them. The people are engaged in their town simply for the fact that they do not trust and they fear their government.

Slipping this in just before Christmas and the unanimous passing of this law by the board solidifies that the new year will bring more attention and mistrust to a board that has issues from head to toe.

Paul Lauricella

Lyndonville