They say Mark Evers was literally snarling at the resolution prepared by the Town's Comptroller who was attempting to implement a health insurance resolution passed last December after disclosures on the Pipeline revealed numerous individuals were getting taxpayer funded health insurance who were not legally entitled to it. Among those cashing in were a vendor, Tom Murley who kept taking the free insurance after he left town employment with a mere 5 1/2 years of employment and the Town Supervisor himself, who apparently ordered himself on the policy as a part time official who was not entitled to the insurance unless he reimbursed the town for the benefit.
That didn't, however, stop Mark Evers from cashing in and forcing taxpayers to pay more than $5,100 annually for the past three years for the premiums. That's a a total of more than $15,000 he owes the town and Murley, well, he's been on the public _it for the past 5 years at the same rate, about $25,000 he took unlawfully from taxpayers.
The spineless town board went into an executive session with Evers screaming from behind closed doors at the Comptroller asking him who wrote the resolution and put the recovery language in there. The bottom line is that despite a personal financial interest in the resolution, Mark Evers refused to recuse himself from either the debate or the vote which allowed him to keep $15,000 and not repay the town and Murley to keep about $20 - to 25 thousand for benifits he was not entitled to over the past 5 years.
Mark Evers got his Maypo as did Tom Murley and the spineless town board is solely responsible for the windfall. Aside from the fact that once again the Board is illegally gifting public money in violation of the State Constitution, you have to wonder what they were thinking as they turned their back on taxpayers and bowed to Mark Evers rants in the Executive Secssion heard in the main meeting room.
There was also an ironic twist to the episode when one looks back at this same board forcing the Comptroller to repay $2,800 to the taxpayers for an insurance buyout Evers improperly authorized without Board consent. Apparently these gifts of public cash are doled out based upon how much clout you have rather than any adherence to the law. We can only imagine what the Town Comptroller was thinking as Evers was bitching at him for trying to do the right thing on behalf of taxpayers, something he himself did voluntarily and because of Evers vote requiring his reimbursement of a buyout Evers had no legal right to authorize.
That's Mark Evers and his remarkable town board for you. They truly are a disgrace when it comes to protecting taxpayers.
Friends with Benifits
It appears that developers are still number one with Evers and Kern based on last week's meeting. The folks who now own the mess on 4 and 43, BET development, turned in a petition to the town board which the board's legal staff never had a chance to verify for accuracy. That didn't stop Evers and Kern from leading the charge to accept it without checking. The purpose: to force the neighbors of BET, Mr. Fiacco and others to help pay for more than 3 million in road improvements that BET would like to see before their assessment is hiked after they build. Since the formula for paying the 3 million is based on current assessment, BET and the Fiacco's neighbors will be required to pay far less than say Stewart's Corporation,whose fully assessed and built store will get hammered while the undeveloped land of the petitioners will pay very little.
Yes, the folks at BET and their friends the Fiacco's got to be laughing at this attempt to make their neighbors pay the bulk of 3 million in road improvements that the original developer of the mall was supposed to pay as part of the approval process. Mr. Evers appears to be so deeply in bed with BET developers that you would think he's on the payroll. But you have to blast the whole town board in this one for accepting the petition without verifying that it is sufficient and correct before voting on its accuracy.
A final irony in the BET gotcha petition, the Conservative Contractor's family is one of those unlucky neighbors who neither signed the petition or knew about it. The Casale family owns property on Agway drive which BET wants to pony up to pay for all those millions in road improvements. Yes, Mark Evers and Ernie Kern showed their gratitude by letting them know the moment the petition was filed at town hall, yea right, should we say their found out because JR Casale happened to attend the board meeting Thursday night, That's what you get when you endorse Mark Evers, giving him money and the Conservative Party line, a knife in the back. Hey, but at least he was smiling right, but that's because he had just ripped the town off for $15,000 in insurance premiums that we, not he, would have to pay! Are you listening Mr. DiJulio?
3 comments:
Clearly, Mark is looking for all the friends he can find- from developers to back room political bosses- good luck- looks like everyone is keeping their distance. Don't worry about Greg D.- he doesn't have any juice- Merola will pick the candidates along w/Casey- too bad we still have the long arm of Bruno influencing RC and town politics.
Hope there are some good Republicans out there ready to stand up to these people and take back the party. Tedisco is DOA with his campaign. And, Leon, enough already, no more articles written by your buddy Rich to pump you up as the savior of the county.
I could NOT agree more. You are right on the money. Leon doesn't have HIS own stand on anything. He is a puppet just like the rest of that Victory Lane Mob.
Evers is not a conservative nor is he a republican. People like him give true conservatives like myself a bad name. Wish I lived in North Greenbush and not Troy to take on the corruption from both patries.
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