by Thaddeus Flint
Reporters covering meetings in small towns often come to realize most of the way through a meeting that there will be nothing to report.
And then there is New Lebanon.
[private]The November monthly meeting of the New Lebanon Town Board on Tuesday was shaping up to be a perfect example of just one of those voids of bureaucracy.
Councilman Bruce Baldwin asked that the Town make sure they aren’t paying too much for fuel. Prices have fallen to dramatic lows in the last few months, and he wanted to be sure that the rates New Lebanon pays follows suit.
Town Supervisor Mike Benson said he would “take a look at it.” He also noted that the appraisal of a gravel pit slated for future sale will be delayed until probably December. Gravel pit collectors face another month of anxious waiting to see what the market price will be for an old hole in the ground on West Hill Road.
That looked to be the extent of the meeting. “It’s been a pretty quiet week,” said Councilman Chuck Geraldi during the liaison reports which reported that there was nothing to report.
Three reporters made up about a quarter of the audience at the Town Hall, and things were not looking good for them. How can you report nothing to report? But there was hope. Because this was New Lebanon. And in New Lebanon something always happens. You are never sure when it will happen or how it will happen or who will cause it to happen, but anyone who has ever spent any time at a New Lebanon Board meeting knows that it will happen.
The trigger for Tuesday night’s happening was actually something that happened back in October. The Board was partially through a scheduled series of meetings to hammer out the 2015 budget when Benson decided he wanted more public involvement. He sent out a flyer to residents titled “An Important Message From Michael Benson New Lebanon Town Supervisor.” It listed some “facts” that would certainly grab the attention of the average resident. These included:
• “At a staggering 3.59% per thousand New Lebanon has the HIGHEST tax rate of ANY town in Columbia County.”
• “Our $1.8 Million annual budget is the size of towns with TRIPLE our population.”
• “New Lebanon’s annual Town Hall salaries are a WHOPPING $75 per resident per year. THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTY in spite of our low population.”
• “The cost of running certain departments within our Town Hall are TOO HIGH and many want more [money]! Double digit percentages in some cases!”
Even the most attention deficit Townspeople probably had trouble ignoring all those disconcerting words in big capital letters.
“Our Town Board needs to know what our residents want,” added the Town Supervisor under a section titled “MOVING FORWARD.” To help residents, at least those with email, let the Board know what they wanted, the email addresses of Benson and his fellow Councilman were listed at the bottom of the flyer. Everyone was also invited in the flyer to the next Town budget meeting on October 20. A picture of a giant thumbtack stabbing a forlorn number “20” on a calendar emphasized the importance of that date.
Reaction to the mailing appears to have been mixed. Some residents would prefer not to pay whopping taxes for whopping salaries, although most people would probably be hard pressed to say exactly how much anyone in the Town makes off the top of their head. “Whopping” sounds pretty big. However, one of those whopping salary earners, Town Clerk Colleen Teal, who made all of $35,218 in 2014, reported that “the residents that I have received contact from are incensed.” Not at Teal’s tentative raise of $704 for 2015, however, but at the flyer put out by the Superintendent. Teal also noted back on October 19 that she “did not believe the rest of the Board had any knowledge of this document being mailed to every residence in NL.”
Teal’s belief was at least partly correct, it turns out. And this is what triggered Tuesday night’s happening.
“Was the rest of the Town Board aware of it?” asked Councilman Baldwin, who had been away when the flyer went out.
“Some,” replied Benson.
Baldwin obviously was not part of the “some.” He fumed over the fact that his name had been added to the flyer when he had not been asked to pre-read, or even agree to, its contents. “Many people assumed it was a Town Board message,” he said.
The Superintendent’s confidential secretary, Eileen Evans, defended the flyer, noting that Benson had the right to present his position and feelings to the residents. Baldwin’s email address was added because Baldwin was a member of the Town Board, and the public had been urged to respond with their desires to the their elected officials.
“Would you shut up!” was Baldwin’s response to Evans.
Evan didn’t seem in the least bit dismayed by Baldwin’s retort. “I will not,” she laughed. Councilman Dan Evans, who was sitting right beside Baldwin, also remained remarkably calm for someone who had just witnessed his mom being talked to in such a manner.
“At least raise your hand or something!” added Baldwin.
Eileen Evans laughed at that too. “Why should I? Nobody else does.”
Baldwin slammed his papers together and tromped toward the exit, muttering in disgust.
“Motion to adjourn?” asked Benson.[/private]