It’s really spot on about the Bayville beaches not being open as early as in past years and having shorter hours and it appears those few who made the decision got voted down and the hours restored. Great stuff, the Village Board listened and acted. Cutting there to try and solve financial issues wasn’t right. Thank God smarter minds prevailed. But, the reason for Bayville’s looking to save a few bucks is not a failure of the present administration, it is a direct result of the old mayor’s inadequate preparation of what was known to come, mainly LOSAP and a Federal Feasibility Study that was ignored (hidden) this past year. In the real world when you know something is going to happen you start making reserves, but not the great mayor of the past. No plan means no problems, ignore it and don’t run again, let the new guys take the heat. Like now. All this back slapping of the old mayor’s “shoestring budget” regime is getting old.
The current mayor, while sometimes a bit aloof, has done a decent job with the problems left him by the last mayor. First was the $250,000+ LOSAP payment that was known coming three years prior but nothing was put into reserve to start funding it. Then came the Federal Feasibility Study that was signed up for eight more years ago that the village has just been billed $250,000 for. Again, no planning and no reserves. Lately there’s been a lot of praise for the past but little recognition for the present.
Look at Bayville today, a winner community that’s being totally renovated, new storefronts, beautiful plantings, a new children’s playground, great beaches, the best Fourth of July celebration on the North Shore and so much more.
The only issues the current administration has are due to the direct inadequacy of the past mayor just so she could look good. Dump all the problems on the new guys, start a BS campaign about how good she was, so she can stage a comeback. Well, I don’t think so, the truth will prevail, there’s no coming back for Victoria Siegel!
My congratulations for the current administration. The village is looking better every week, thank you.
Benjamin Dover
Bayville
