To the Editor:

I would like to add my support for open and transparent government in the town of Knox and second Anna Wolfe’s sentiments in her recent letter to the editor.

The board members who met secretly, upon advice that it was legal to do so by our town attorney, would do well to remember that the citizens of Knox voted for our new supervisor, Vas Lefkaditis, because they wanted a change from the stagnant administration that had led the town for more than 40 years.  Sadly, since Vas took office, these board members seem to be doing everything they can to put up roadblocks and prevent Vas from making any of the much-needed changes that voters were hoping for.

I find it laughable that there are complaints about late agendas. In 2014, the Enterprise ran an article about late agendas.  The article stated: “The outline of a town board meeting in Knox is not set out in an agenda, as it’s typically called, but rather as a schedule of business made by longtime Supervisor Michael Hammond. He said this week that the document is available with the town clerk at least the day before a meeting.”  At the time, the sitting board members were not the ones complaining that they weren’t getting agendas or schedules of business in a timely manner.

In addition, I am not surprised that Mr. John Dorfman incorrectly informed the board members that their clandestine meeting would be legal.  It is not the first time that he has had an interesting view of what is and isn’t legal.

When my husband and I first moved into this town, we were greeted by an attempt to increase our tax assessment by over 50 percent — based solely on the purchase price of our house and the tax assessor’s opinion that “it looks like a very pretty house.”  Called “welcome stranger,” it is illegal to increase the assessment on a property based on the purchase price.

Accordingly, we went through the town grievance procedure.  This involved going before the full board, which then votes on whether or not to uphold the assessor’s increase.  I was very taken aback by this because the tax assessor is Russ Pokorny and his wife, Amy Pokorny, sits on the town board.  I firmly believe it is unethical for her to vote on something like this and she should have recused herself.  As you can imagine, the assessor’s decision was upheld (see correction below).

We hired a lawyer, went to court, and won.  However, I always wonder how many other property owners have experienced this and not fought it either because they could not afford an attorney or they didn’t know it was illegal.

Not only did Mr. Dorfman not provide the town with sound legal advice, but Mr. Pokorny did not know such an assessment violated statutory and constitutional requirements of uniformity and equality in assessing.  Mrs. Pokorny voted to support her husband’s assessment in an ethically questionable procedure.

When Vas took office in January, I believe those who voted for him were optimistic that things would change.  While the news of the sad state of disrepair of many town facilities after decades of neglect by the previous administration was disheartening, the plans that Vas put forth to help turn things around with minimal impact to taxpayers was encouraging.

The citizens of Knox deserve a town government that works in their best interests for the betterment of all, and one that will lead Knox forward — not allow it to stagnate. We do not need a small, closed group who works only for themselves and their friends.

I think that whether you moved to Knox or you were born here, we can all agree this is a beautiful area full of many assets.  It is like an old antique piece of furniture that has the potential to really shine once it is shown love and attention.  I urge you to support our supervisor and work to bring out the best in Knox.

Victoria Vattimo

Knox

Editor’s note: Amy Pokorny said she did not recall the vote. She reviewed her notes from meetings in 2012, 2013, and 2014 but found nothing, she said. She said she was aware that the Vattimos had won their case in court.

Typically, a town’s Board of Assessment Review handles grievances. The chairman of the Knox Board of Assessment Review, Tim Frederick, could not be reached for comment.

Correction: This letter said that Knox Town Board member Amy Pokorny had voted on a property value set by her husband, Assessor Russell Pokorny. This never happened. (See “From the editor” column.)