To the Editor:
In the fall of 2021, the Berne town supervisor agreed that the large 2024 Trump campaign sign displayed at a residence in the town hamlet is in violation of town ordinances on two counts:

— 1. The sign is larger than the allowable signage; and

— 2. The sign is being displayed well outside of the allowable window for campaign election signs.

He also pointed out that, being a historical district, a sign variance would not be approved, and added that a trailer on the property is very much in violation of the town’s 45-day storage limit.

Now, almost 10 months later, the sign and trailer remain.

What recourse do taxpayers have when elected officials do not adhere to local laws, and when officials who are elected and appointed to uphold our laws are not doing their jobs?

Kenneth Guarino

Berne

Editor’s note: Kenneth Guarino is the father-in-law of Jean Guarino, who ran for Berne town clerk last November on the Democratic line.

“I do not recall making that statement or the specifics to this matter,” former Supervisor Sean Lyons responded to The Enterprise in an email. “However I do remember something about the trailer and Mr. [Randy] Bashwinger addressing the issue in the time allowed. There was one resident lodging complaints about signs at the Bashwinger residence but I don’t believe anything was ever addressed by the Buildings Code Administration department while I was in office.”