An open letter to Mayor Victor Marotta

Mr. Mayor: I have only a few pertinent questions for you. First, how do you sleep at night? Let's look at the whole picture here. I am sure, since you are doing such a fantastic knock-out job for this town, that you are aware that families are leaving their homes in the middle of the night in record numbers as they can't afford to live here anymore. You have taxed them right out of town. Every cluster of small business that tries to make it here in Vernon has lost more than half of their vendors, unable to pay their rents. My family has lived here for more than 20 years. We vote and we also pay our taxes. I might add that our taxes have increased EVERY YEAR. I am not interested in whether or not YOU deserve a raise. You may, you may not. Many people think you do, but there are more than 1,000 (not a handful) that do not and they are currently paying the salary you are collecting now. The big issue here is this: If you are doing such a good job here, why have so many families fled their homes, literally in the dead of night? I have never seen so many abandoned homes and failed businesses. So the second question is this: With the economy in complete chaos, with prices of everything ever-increasing and the average worker's salary NOT, how can you justify giving yourself a raise increase? That is ludicrous. Is that REALLY for the good of Vernon? Or is it just for the good of Mayor Marotta? I take it the taxpayer's wellbeing isn't at the top of your priority list then. No disrespect intended sir, but your priorities don't seem to lie with this town or the people who put into office. You may just want to rethink that huge, ill-timed, self-administered pat on the back of yours. I believe the people have spoken and they said no, not once, but twice.

Maureen Wisniewski
Highland Lakes