Town of Yates uses open process to ensure accountability in local government
Editor:
I read, with interest, Mr. Steven Colon’s notice of write-in candidacy for the post of Town of Yates Supervisor. I’d like to commend Mr. Colon for his willingness to step up and stand for this leadership position.
Mr. Colon, however, seems a bit misinformed as to the candidate endorsement process and how it functions. My view of the endorsement process is quite different than Mr. Colon’s. I served as Yates Town Councilman from 2015-2024, successfully running three election campaigns for that position. The process for endorsement was the same in all three:
- A Letter of Consideration for Endorsement was written by myself to the Yates Republican Committee. The Letter of Consideration included my views on the Town and what was needed to ensure a prudent path forward for the Town of Yates, not only now, but into the future.
- The Yates Republican Committee assessed each Letter of Consideration and interviewed each candidate.
- Based on the Letters of Consideration and the interviews, the Yates Republican Committee discussed and voted on the candidates to be endorsed.
In my view, the endorsement process illustrates our representative democracy and clearly does not bypass the democratic process. It certainly does not take place behind closed doors.
By definition, a representative democracy is one in which citizens elect officials to make law and policy on their behalf with those elected officials accountable to the electorate. That is the reason for public comment during privilege-of-the-floor sessions at Town Board meetings.
Regarding hand-picked candidates, as mentioned by Mr. Colon in his editorial, I’ll again reference the reader to the endorsement steps listed above. There is no hand-picking in the endorsement process. It is accountable, transparent and ensures a competitive candidate endorsement determination.
Lastly, the retirement of the current Yates Town Supervisor, Mr. James Simon, opens the seat for Supervisor. As such, a sitting board member has expressed interest in the Supervisor position and has moved through the endorsement process as described above. However, that person is still a sitting Town Board member and therefore that person’s seat is not open for election.
If, and only if, the board member is elected to the Supervisor position does the board position become vacant. In that case, the Board is within its legal purview to interview and select a board member replacement to serve the remainder of the, now vacant, term. Again, there is nothing surreptitious, cloak and dagger, or “smoke-filled back room” about the process.
Both board member endorsement and replacement processes are transparent, competitive and ensure essential accountability in local government.
I wish Mr. Colon well and best of luck in the upcoming election.
Thank you,
John Riggi
Town of Yates
