To the Editor:

After many months of attending Knox Town Board meetings and watching the many performances of Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis, I believe the man running our town has sunk to a new low. Even when compared to the lies and lack of transparency in his governing, his attack on Councilman Earl Barcomb was disturbing.

Not because we haven’t witnessed him do it before, but because this time he dragged his family and particularly his children into the attack (as parties that Councilman Barcomb had wronged). All of this was done on the record.

In the minutes leading up to his accusations, he had been claiming that “politicking, campaigning, and potshots were no place for board minutes.”  He had also just stated that “we need to return a degree of respect, decorum, and civility to the minutes.”

Since I didn’t recall any nastiness during the prior board meeting, as Supervisor Lefkaditis alleged, I went home and reviewed the recording of the March 2019 board meeting. What did I discover? Nothing that Supervisor Lefkaditis alleged in his attack on Councilman Barcomb actually took place. (I have attached a transcription of the conversations that took place between Councilman Barcomb and Supervisor Lefkaditis for you to review.).

If the supervisor truly wants to restore professionalism, decorum, and civility to the board, perhaps he should step down, as over the past year he is the only person I have witnessed on the board not upholding those tenets.

If the supervisor does not wish for his children to hear things that might upset them, he probably shouldn’t be bringing them to meetings where his judgement and job performance are being questioned by citizens who are displeased with both.

Children are not a tool to be used to dissuade conversations at a board meeting.

As election time is looming, I think the residents of Knox need to take a hard look at what work has been done, or hasn’t, who has done what, and most importantly ask themselves what kind of town do I want to live in?  One where neighbors have each other’s backs, or one where neighbors distrust and belittle each other.

We moved here 20 years ago, raised our daughter, and built our forever home on property that has been a sanctuary for our hectic daily lives. When we needed help, there were always people there to help.

Unfortunately, I am not sure that all those wonderful things can survive another two years of our current administration.  Please start attending board meetings so, when election time comes, you have the facts about what has or hasn’t been occurring in our town. Your vote can shape whether we stay someplace special or become just another town.

Brigitte McAuliffe

Knox

Editor’s note: Brigitte McAuliffe inquired at the state comptroller’s office about the Knox supervisor’s tardiness in submitting annual financial reports. The state comptroller’s office is now conducting an audit. She has also filed a complaint with the attorney general’s office about the town board’s vote to go through with a multi-use recreational district without proper map or public input; she lives in the area for the proposed district.