To the editor:
In the proposed budget for the town of Cicero put forth by the current town board, there are several concerning figures. None more concerning than the $11,614 raise for the town supervisor. That is a raise of over 14 percent.
Although there are raises proposed for other positions, none is as extraordinary as the town supervisor’s.
This raise comes on the heels of a new Local Law passed on Oct. 11, allowing the budget to be raised over the 2 percent cap. Couple that with the new debt of $10,000,000 (yes, $10 million) for the new garage, and it’s hard to fathom how the town board would have the audacity to ask for raises at all, much less a raise for the town supervisor, which is more than triple what most Cicero residents can expect in the coming year.
The members of the board may argue that the new garage is needed and so the debt was unavoidable. A new garage was needed, but not one with every bell and whistle known to man. And certainly not without a vote by the citizens of Cicero. A petition had to be passed in order to force the reluctant Town Board to hold a vote.
Joyce Villnave
Candidate, Cicero Town Supervisor
