To the Editor:

I would like to first and foremost ask why Mrs. McAuliffe finds it necessary to drag my name and my own personal comments from two-and-a-half years years ago at a board meeting into her letter last week [“Remove the disease that has infected Knox,” The Altamont Enterprise, Oct. 17, 2019].

I am proud to have been a Knox citizen for the first 22 years of my life and enjoy my visits home. However, I have not lived in Knox for two years now and associating my own personal opinion with my family’s letter two weeks ago is just plain ridiculous. What is your point in doing so anyway?

You do not know me so leave me out of any comments you may have. By the way, I stand by those comments to this day.

The town supervisor may be the chief financial officer but, as you even state, he is the head of the town board. So, yes, he is a leader.

He’s the one that initiated facility walkthroughs every year and discovered the various derelict buildings and conditions in town to which the past administration simply turned a blind eye. He’s a leader that helped revive the Pucker Street Fair and continues to donate his own time and money to make it successful. He even helped organize the community build of our new playground to finally get it up and operational.

You state in your letter that some of those accomplishments are due to the community and town board and not the supervisor. Well, he is part of that town board, again, as you state, so therefore he is a part of those accomplishments.

Credit is deserved where credit is due. Also notice, I say the word helped. No one has ever said that he is solely responsible for every single thing alone.

I have no explanation for the denial of the financial reporting submission; I’m not afraid to admit that, but the fact that the town finances are clearly sound and the supervisor himself voted to censure himself indicates that he is only human and mistakes can be made by us all. He also had the dignity to own up and apologize for that mistake and went on record to make it known.

I think the fact that the supervisor has not increased taxes in every one of his budgets, and even decreased taxes, is something that should be cheered by all. The past administration constantly increased taxes throughout the years and had nothing to show for it.

If it weren’t for the savings through switching insurance providers, changing banks for lower interest rates, negotiating contracts and several other cost-saving measures, you would have had tax increases. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending more money on goods or services if that means, as a taxpayer, you don’t have to shell out more from your pocket.

Oh, and that past administration almost cost us (as The Enterprise stated) a bundle when it was noted the former town attorney screwed up the bond-anticipation-note borrowing. It was Vas, as the town’s CFO, while seeking to get a bond, that the issue was noticed and eventually fixed.

The past administration became “enemies” (as you wrote) because they failed to be effective. They sat on their hands for years and waited until right before the elections to bring up issues to keep people interested. The town of Knox got fed up and voted for a new, positive direction. 

Rather than try and explain in detail Mrs. McAuliffe's half-truths about the budgets each year, I encourage all voters to go on the Enterprise website and read the newspaper’s in-depth reporting on them every year that Vas was supervisor. 

The articles explains why costs go up, where he saved us money and the reasons behind less revenue coming in. There are no secrets; it is all laid out. Do your own research and, if you don’t understand something, reach out to an elected official or someone with unbiased knowledge who can better explain it.

One thing I find extremely repulsive and disgusting is Mrs. McAuliffe calling the supervisor a misogynist. Are you kidding me? How can you honestly sit there and say such a thing with no proof at all? It makes me absolutely sick.

Don't take it from me, because I’m sure some will say, he’s just another male. Ask any woman. Maybe ask the female candidates running on the same line as he is. Do you think they would support or run on the same line as a misogynist?

I mean honestly, you just had two women from my family, one being a young teenager, who publicly wrote in support of Vas. You can call people dirty, nasty, untrue things all you want, but it’s all about the leadership, dedication, and results that people will be voting for. They will ignore your ridiculous words. Simply disliking someone does not make them a misogynist.

On a related note, the fact that you group the people running on the same line as Vas as lacking integrity is insulting. Maybe talk to them personally before making a judgement. I hope you had the chance to talk to them at the Meet the Candidates night on Sunday. Do you know their backgrounds, the values they hold, or various experiences they would bring to the town?

And when exactly, and where did anyone, ever, attempt to or actually trample your First Amendment rights. I’m pretty sure your numerous public comments, quotes in The Enterprise, numerous letters to the editor, and picketing on Primary Day have never been trampled.

I truly hope the voters of Knox will completely look past these utterly disgraceful letters. Vote for June, Dennis, Traci, Betty, and Bonnie not because they are on that same line as Vas but because they, too, are ready, willing, and more than qualified to help keep Knox thriving.

Please ignore all the letters — heck, even this one — so you can do your own research on the record of this administration and these candidates.

Josh VonHaugg

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Editor’s note: A quick review of several decades of Knox budget stories shows that most years, before the state-set levy limit, Knox stayed below the 2-percent cap. Most years, cost-of-living raises were given to town workers, and as fuel, energy, insurance, and pension costs rose, so did expenses. During Micheal Hammond’s 42-year tenure, a transfer station was built as well as a new town hall; a cell tower was erected that still brings in funds; a comprehensive land-use plan was adopted as was zoning with boards appointed to interpret the laws; and Knox underwent a town-wide property revaluation, bringing every property to full-market value. Hammond left the town with a substantial fund balance and cash accounts.