Letter: States his positions

Dear Editor,

Our three opponents (Gregg White, David Bartizal and Todd Mullinax) think they have found the perfect wedge issue to take control of the Hudson town government – the so-called outrageous salaries that the office staff, constables and chairman are earning. This is bogus.

If you cut the salaries in half it would amount to a dollar per month in tax savings on a $250,000 home. If you got rid of the staff completely (who knows what they intend), it would cut your tax bill a whopping 2 dollars per month.

What this is about is taking over the Town Board not $12 per year on your tax bill; either that, or they so completely misunderstand tax realities that it should be cause for concern. If White, Bartizal and Mullinax are successful in their challenge, they will control the five-member Town Board.

So let’s cut to the chase. It isn’t about salaries or vacations; those are just issues they hope will resonate with the voters. All I can say is we’ve saved enough money on road grants in the last few years alone to pay those salaries for close to three full years.

Tim Foster, Kernon Bast and I have over 50 years of experience and a record to stand on versus their very limited experience and rhetoric. I’m currently working with the county highway engineer on replacing the failing bridge on Trout Brook Road with an estimated cost of $250,000. I’m working to get 80 percent federal funding and 10 percent county funding, leaving the town residents with only 10 percent of the cost of the bridge. Now that’s a real issue.

I’m asking that anyone who will support me will also support Tim Foster and Kernon Bast. Support us on April 7.

Jeff Johnson, Town of Hudson

Town Chair

Tags: opinion, letter, hudson, town, board, election, salaries