Ossining Residents Lend Support to Highway Superintendent
The Ossining Town Board heard nothing but opposition to a plan to abolish the highway superintendent as an elected position from a handful of vocal residents during a public hearing last week.
“If something isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Robert Sherman of Tavano Road, echoing the sentiment of most speakers. “Everyone is happy with the system the way it is. For all intent and purposes you are firing a public servant. You’re taking away the people’s right to choose.”
Supervisor Susanne Donnelly maintained the proposal to change the highway superintendent to an appointed position was not directed at the performance of current highway head Michael O’Connor, who reportedly is the lowest-paid highway superintendent in Westchester at $89,536 annually.
“This is about business. This is not about the individual. This is not about politics,” Donnelly said. “We believe in department managers running their departments. As in government or business, the department managers report back to someone.”
Donnelly’s remarks did not sit well with Andre and Mindy Lamarre, who have lived in the Town of Ossining for 13 years.
“He (the highway superintendent) is going to have to be responsible for what he does, because if he doesn’t, we’ll fire him,” Andre Lamarre said.
“I really don’t know where the motivation for this comes from. I don’t think the board is looking out for the best interests of the town,” Mindy Lamarre said. “I can’t imagine a town government in this day and age wanting to take voting rights away from the people.”
Of the approximately 1,500 highway superintendents in New York State, only 59 are appointed positions. The Ossining Town Board will be discussing the issue again at its Aug. 21 Town Hall meeting at the Ossining Village Library. Donnelly said the board would vote on Aug. 28 on whether to schedule a Nov. 6 referendum.
Under the proposed local law, if approved by voters, the appointed position of highway superintendent would be created as of Jan. 1, 2014 and would be a four-year appointment.
“It seems to me the system we have now is a good system. When people lose the ability to elect someone it’s not a good thing,” said William Scherer, a town resident since 1974. “I think it’s a mistake if we give that up. Mr. O’Connor, in my opinion, has been excellent. His crew works good. I just feel very comfortable with that situation.”
O’Connor, who served 15 years on the Town Board before becoming highway superintendent in 2006, was in attendance at last week’s public hearing but did not speak.
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