Early this month, Silver Creek Mayor Kurt Lindstrom took aim at this newspaper for its criticism of the Village Board for holding illegal meetings in January.
"I would like to iterate that contrary to what is printed in the OBSERVER, the Village Board works to comply with general municipal law and quite often turns to New York Conference of Mayors office for advice as well," he said. "It's tiring when board members work to dedicate time to making a difference in their community but are constantly criticized by the official newspaper. It lacks community support and character in dealing with us on honest issues."
Since then, however, the village's comedy of errors have continued.
New York Conference of Mayors told the board its Feb. 10 meeting did not have the proper number of votes - three - to purchase a four-wheel drive police vehicle, thus it had to be voted on again even though the village - as the mayor said - "works to comply with general municipal law."
An audit released last week from the state comptroller's office found the village purchase of its new Department of Public Works site was an "inadequate process" in which proper documentation and records were not kept. Mayor Lindstrom, who said the village "works to comply with general municipal law" defended the shoddy practices and $725,000 purchase of property that was twice the market value.
"The Village Board made every effort during this difficult time period to always take into consideration the best interests of its taxpayers," Lindstrom said in the report.
A municipality paying twice the market value for property is never in the "best interests of its taxpayers."
And neither was the illegal meeting that was in January.
But Lindstrom questions the OBSERVER, noting it "lacks community support and character in dealing with us on honest issues."
After the illegal meetings, a voting error and the comptroller's scathing report, our newspaper no longer has to wonder. It seems as though it is the village's leader who is lacking in "character in dealing with us on honest issues."
But Silver Creek's mayor just doesn't have to take the OBSERVER's word for it. He can ask either NYCOM or the comptroller's office. They'll give him an "honest" assessment.
