To the Editor:

More than two months ago, I wrote a letter of alarm that Supervisor [Sean] Lyons and the Berne Town Board (with the exception of Councilman [Joel] Willsey) were careening toward fiscal insolvency and huge tax increases of 25 percent to 75 percent due to overestimating sales-tax revenue, frivolous spending, and total disregard for the current health and financial crisis gripping our town, state, and nation.

And what have they done in the past two-and-a-half months to address the needs of Berne residents and taxpayers?  Absolutely zero!

They have done nothing since Jan. 1, 2020 to assist Berne residents. Instead, while the financial crisis has deepened and residents have lost their jobs, been furloughed, had their pay cut, Sean Lyons and the Republican [-backed] town board members have continued to:

— Pay a new dog-control officer who doesn’t even answer his phone. What is the increased cost over the past seven months since they fired Cheryl Baitsholts without reason or warning?;

— Obsess over destroying our beautiful Switzkill Farm, which had generated revenue until they shut it down;

— Use a specious excuse to recreate the planning board — probably so that they can put a convicted felon in as chairman;

— Hired a new town attorney from a high-priced Albany law firm;

— Spend our hard-earned tax dollars on ridiculous “investigations” of board members whose only offenses are being Democrats looking to save taxpayers from egregious spending and to protect us from further lawsuits. Last week, The Enterprise outlined many of those outrageous expenditures of our tax dollars, which were for nothing more than political retribution;

— Further increase Randy Bashwinger’s salary by an additional hidden title;

— Purchase cell phones and plans for employees — which and how many employees and the total cost has not been provided to residents;

— Provide additional hours for the parks/maintenance crew at the same time they are no longer maintaining Switzkill Farm;

— Purchased a truck for $257,000 and a skid steer for $74,000, which they will use for a few months at most, and never told us how they were purchasing them — which is in violation of municipal law;

— Spent an untold amount of money on ridiculous and embarrassing “investigations”;

— Violate the Open Meetings Law and many other state and town laws; and

— The list could go on for pages.

And now, they are trying to slide a new highway workers’ contract without any hint of what the cost increases will be.

When the current fiscal crisis is not projected to be resolved for another five years, we as taxpayers deserve to know what the plans are to balance the town budget with all of the increased costs that Supervisor Lyons and this board are imposing on us.

Therefore, Berne taxpayers must be provided the comparison of the five-year cost of the new contract with the five-year cost of the last contract including:

— What is the percentage of raise for the workers?

— What additional compensations have been added to the contract?

— How many individuals will it affect? Is this an increase from the previous contract?

— What perks have the workers given up to offset any increases?

Supervisor Lyons and this Berne Town Board are akin to a resident whose salary was cut by 50 percent, deciding to spend his entire savings on a vacation and racking up his credit card with 20-percent interest  to pay his utilities and essentials.

What will happen in the 2021 or 2022 budget? They have already eliminated all services and they will have eliminated the entire fund balance that it took Supervisor [Kevin] Crosier and the Democratic town board 16 years to save.

The town will be bankrupt. Do the highway workers want to risk their jobs in a year or two for what is in the secret contract now? Make no mistake, if Supervisor Lyons and the town board do not begin to immediately cut costs and make better financial decisions, they are quickly racing toward that cliff.

I said more than two months ago that the Berne Town Board must begin immediately to carefully look at the budget, spending, and residents’ needs. Unfortunately, Supervisor Lyons and the board are either unwilling or incapable of doing so.

Therefore, it is up to all of the residents of Berne to attend board meetings (unfortunately you have to attend in person since one cannot understand it on Zoom and the Zoom is cut off after the free 40-minute session), write letters, call the supervisor and board members and tell them to stop what they are doing and think of the residents.

We do not want to lay off any town workers and we cannot afford 40 percent to 75 percent or higher tax increases! It is up to each and every one of us. Speak up before it is too late!

Barbara Crosier 

East Berne

Editor’s note: Barbara Crosier is married to Kevin Drosier, Berne’s former Democratic supervisor.