To the Editor:

The Enterprise published a smear letter against me last week with no basis in fact. A town political appointee who works for Supervisor Peter Barber submitted the letter [The Altamont Enterprise, March 5, 2018, “Has Mr. Grimm violated his oath of office as Albany County legislator?” by Gerard Houser].

Among other things, the letter compared me to Donald Trump because of my criticism of the Guilderland judge who has been charged with stealing $4 million from the estates of elderly women. Just a week before in The Enterprise, Mr. Barber called me “a mini Trump” for criticizing the judge, who has resigned.

The suspicious connection between Barber’s remarks and the letter makes one wonder if Mr. Barber had someone on the town payroll do the dirty work he was unwilling to do himself.

I believe town Democratic leaders have had a longstanding strategy to prevent me from speaking out by submitting personal attack letters from a small group of partisans. It has not worked.

I continue to put Guilderland residents first and my strong record in the county legislature underscores that commitment. I love helping the many people I have served.

When I received 65 percent of the vote in my last race in a district with a Democrat enrollment edge, it was heartwarming to learn my constituents appreciate my efforts. The smear letters will not deter me from sticking up for them.

Mark Grimm

Guilderland

Editor’s note: The letter from Gerard Houser noted he is the coordinator for the Guilderland Community Gardens; the part-time post pays $3,062 annually.