Snowfall was expected on Dec. 19. The Village of Farmingdale had more than enough warning to be ready to clear the roads, but where were Mayor Starkie and his administration?
Speaking on the behalf of many residents, there is no excuse for the poor performance of Mayor Starkie. This storm was a far cry from his quote that “this was the storm of the century.”
Many roads were inadequately plowed and it took two days of cold and ice to have sand put down on some roads. This all begs the question of whether Mayor Starkie’s pick for superintendent of the Department of Public Works is truly qualified for his position. I personally have requested from this administration the qualifications that were used to pick a new head of DPW who gets paid $85,000 annually with very generous benefits, but I was told there are none. Can you imagine another village hiring a DPW superintendent where there are no qualifications?
Our DPW head is no doubt a fine person, but he is also a lifelong friend of Mayor Starkie, which again begs the question of what are his qualifications to head such an important department in our village. If you remember during Mr. Starkie’s mayoral campaign, he did say that he would get the best-qualified individuals and not resort to any patronization. I will let the residents decide if such a statement is true.
I have also publicly asked Mayor Starkie and the board if they would consider voting to eliminate the board’s lifetime medical benefits and the benefits of other part time officials. With our property taxes rising, our school taxes rising, this would be a great way to save our residents money and the reason why I made this proposal to the board. The Nassau County comptroller calculates the cost to taxpayers is over a half million dollars per person. Our small village can no longer afford to pay for such perks. Why does the mayor refuse to entertain discussions on the subject?
I urge residents to come to the village board meetings and start questioning the practices of this administration. The board meets Monday evenings and is open to the public. Check the village website for times or call the village.
Georgiana Sena
