Your Local Ballot and Lawsuit Filed

This is what your local ballot will look like either on paper or in the boot today. You can see that Mark Evers and his developer and contractor slate of Lou Desso and Al Spain is endorsed on all the major party lines. Their only competition come from the Greenbush Party candidates on ROW F.

Mark Premo, who is endorsed by the Greenbush Party appears on ROW E and A.

Andrew Ceresia is also endorsed by the Greenbush Party, also appears on ROW E and A.

We urge you to VOTE and to keep town government out of the hands of the developers and contractors who tried to make your vote meaningless by endorsing the same slate of candidates on the major party lines.

Supervisor and Town Sued to Force Vote on Water District Bailout

NORTH GREENBUSH…Town resident Jeff Cleary announced today the filing of an Article 78 lawsuit in State Supreme Court to force the Town of North Greenbush to obey the Permissive Referendum provisions of State Law requiring the town to hold a VOTE within 75 days from the filing of voter petitions demanding a vote.

Cleary stated that the town has failed to hold a scheduled vote as required by law which would have put the Supervisor’s proposal to borrow $830,000 on a proposed bailout of the overspent Water District 14 contract held by Casale Excavating. “The contract is being audited by the State Comptroller after it was discovered that some $740,000 had been paid to the contractor over his stipulated bid without change orders” said Cleary. He believes the overwhelming majority of town residents oppose giving the contractor more money than he agreed to do the job for and that protecting their right to vote and be heard is essential and protected by State Law.

After significant public pressure and threats of litigation, the Town Board voted 3-2 in July of 2007 to schedule the required voter referendum and set the date for October 16, 2007. Less than a week before the election the public learned that town officials responsible to carry out the election had done nothing to execute their responsibility to hold the vote. The outrage produced another vote of the town board to set a new date in January 15th 2008 well beyond the Board’s discretionary authority and the time frame required by State Law.

Cleary stated his belief that the town board and supervisor without direction from the Courts, will continue to prevent the public from exercising their right to vote. He noted that the contractor is deeply involved in town politics, Chairing the Conservative Party. As a result, I will ask the Court to order the election and to monitor compliance with the mandates of Permissive Referendum.