A Farmingdale resident raised the concern that the public does not have a say in government spending at the village’s Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, March 2.
Charles Gosline, a member of the Farmingdale community, repeatedly questioned what he called a lack of public input on government expenses. He said he blames the current mayoral administration regarding what he contended was a lack of transparency.
“They are making hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of decisions all the time and we don’t need a public hearing… it’s not transparent,” Gosline said.
The root of his concern was based on the board’s approval to purchase the property at 141 Division St. for $650,000. The property sits next to a downtown parking lot and the purchase is part of the village’s plan to add new parking spaces as it looks to turn part of the same parking lot into a new theater, partially funded by the state’s NY Forward grant.
The board said public hearings are not required for those types of expenditures. Mayor Ralph Ekstrand explained the procedures for purchasing the property to Gosline, saying the price was negotiated and the home was appraised.
According to village documents, the 3,000-square-foot property is over 100 years old and the building has three bedrooms inside the building.
