Our tax dollars deserve better management

Dear Editor,

If you, like me, worry about the management of our tax dollars and projects such as the proposed water treatment plant – not to mention the upkeep of our roads, parks and other public spaces -- I have a suggestion: vote for Jean Hopper for Carmel Town Supervisor.

The current supervisor reportedly voted to spend $27 million on a water treatment plant that understandably many residents, including Jean, as well as a board member, opposed as overkill and a major tax burden on Carmel residents. We can and should do better.

Jean is a long-time, deeply rooted Carmelite with considerable experience in management. She has extensive knowledge of our town and its challenges, as well as fresh and common-sense ideas on how to tackle the water treatment plant and other urgent issues to get what Carmel needs without clobbering residents with rocketing taxes.

It's time that some board members are replaced.

Election Day on Nov. 4 can be the turning point for stronger leadership on the Town Board by electing Jean Hopper as Supervisor. We are long past due for a brighter future for Carmel.

I’m also taking this opportunity to make some positive changes for Carmel by voting for Brett Wieland.

The Town Board’s current composition, more or less, has been in charge for decades, yet important projects have been stalled and will cost more tax dollars if not resolved quickly. These include Carmel’s water infrastructure, Swan Cove, and management of our roads and parks. Constant delays and failures to reach agreements, make decisions and implement actions, wastes our tax dollars. Unfortunately, many of us have become numb to this stagnation and waste, and that is getting us nowhere. We are way past due for a change on the Town Board.

Carmel desperately needs a change. Brett’s track record in project management at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), his master’s degree in public administration and his experience in working with others in both the public and private sectors, will bring experience, energy and a shot in the arm to a struggling Town Board. Brett is exactly what Carmel needs to competently manage our tax dollars and deliver a safer, more affordable and enjoyable quality of life for all its citizens.

-Gwen Burke, Mahopac