There was a time in the Town of Delaware when the town officials would listen to the concerns of their constituents and at least try to make decisions that took into account those concerns. In fact, that is their responsibility as outlined in New York State’s Town Law Manual, “when a town board member votes on a proposal before a town board, he or she is representing, through that vote, the views of all the residents of the town” Granted, those responsibilities have grown much more complex these days, but isn’t that all the more reason to listen to what their constituents have to say?

Unfortunately, that is not the way town governance happens under the current administration. Potentially harmful issues and the resolutions regarding them are brought up, often without being on a meeting’s agenda, and passed on the spot, without any sort of reasoned debate by the parties affected.

It’s time we, the voters of the Town of Delaware, have more democratic representation and we stand a better chance of that by supporting John Murphy for town council and Steve Lundgren for supervisor.

Jane Blake

Town of Delaware, NY