To The Editor:
As a single-income federal government employee whose salary was frozen for several years just after I bought my house, I watched with great trepidation as my property taxes rose and rose. I wondered if I would have to sell my house and leave a town that I had come to love.
When Councilmen Roman and Nochimson were running for election and re-election respectively, they gave voice to the concerns I had, and I threw my support wholeheartedly behind them. The Verona Town Council meeting of 10/19/2015 perfectly encapsulated why I did so. Hearing of the rampant overtime abuses in Verona saddened and angered me. My proverbial Widow’s Mite was being grubbed away by unethical practices. I am grateful that these councilmen (Who’d have thought that one could trust politicians to keep promises?) have cut through all of the subterfuge put in place during the imperious reign of our previous Town Manager.
Councilman Nochimson raised the issue of possible repercussions for those taking advantage of the citizenry. I, for one, would support that. If a department head making nearly 50% of his already generous base salary in self-assigned overtime is not illegal, it is certainly, at least, immoral.
Lisa Sivo
I have questioned the cost of the 4 x annually sewer charge. As a home owner, not a 2 family, why do I have to subsidize water usage of multiple users in 2 family homes.?? The US supreme Court is hearing arguments from those who refuse to pay Union dues, while reaping contractual benefits, calling it FREE RIDE. Coincidental?
Past technology didn’t allow municipalities to bill sewer usage by the flush. Some, like New York City, are moving towards more customized charges, but there are still a lot of variables to them, like the size of the building, the number of units and the property owner’s investments in water-saving equipment like low-flush toilets. Verona, which doesn’t have many 2-family or multi-family properties, isn’t there yet, though there have been discussions about upgrading water meters so that the town accurately bills for water used.