Dear Editor,
I was a Village of Owego Trustee for two years, and while there were differences on issues among board members, we rose above them to do the business of the village.
I am dismayed at the “my way or the highway” unprofessional attitude of some current board members and have decided to run again with the Rebuild Owego Party to bring civil discourse and tolerance of other trustees views back to the board.
A prime example is the police issue. After telling Chief Vinti that rumors of abolishing OPD were untrue and that the new candidates were wanted to bolster the department by fully staffing it, they proceeded to refuse to hire people recommended by the personnel committee.
They have used all manner of rumor and innuendo to undercut the police department. Just repeating “ineffective and inefficient” over and over does not make it true. The police budget was carefully crafted to meet the needs of village residents and businesses, while recognizing that a department like Vestal’s is not what we need or want. Village residents have spoken loud and clear on their desire to keep OPD and have it fully staffed.
Another issue that has come up is the false rumor that OFD is to be disbanded, a firehouse closed and a new truck not purchased. This is similar to the anonymous post card sent around last year saying that the mayor wanted to disband EMS. These kind of dirty tricks, especially when they could erode public confidence in critical emergency departments, serve no good purpose in the local political arena.
I pledge to listen to the voice of the people and ignore unfounded rumor mongering by people with an axe to grind for certain departments or who use scare tactics for political proposes.
Sincerely,
Jenny Ceccherelli
