Letter to the Editor: Leishman Point
Thankfully, a petition driven referendum has provided the people of Waddington the
ultimate decision regarding the use of PUBLIC LAND at Leishman Point. The Waddington Town
Board is now required by law to allow their taxpaying, registered voter constituents the
opportunity to decide what THEY want to see happen to THEIR land. The Town Board favors a
"Residential Only" plan for Leishman Point. This plan would PERMANENTLY EXCLUDE
PUBLIC ACCESS to every citizen except a priviledged few. The Waddington Redevelopment
Association favors a plan that involves a MIXED USE of Leishman Point, to include
Recreational, Commercial, AND Residential. A "Mixed Use" of Leishman Point would
PERMANENTLY INCLUDE PUBLIC ACCESS to ALL of Waddington's citizens.
At August's Waddington Town Board Meeting, I requested that the Town Board form a working
group that would work TOGETHER on an accurate, fair and acceptable wording on the now
required referendum that the Voting Public would be able to see and READ BEFORE casting
their referendum ballots. Mr. Larry Sears, speaking for the Town Board, told me that I (or
anyone else) could "submit" suggestions which the Town Board would
"consider" as far as the "wording of a referendum." Submit for consid
eration...yeah right... even my children know what "we'll see" means...
What I don't understand is the Town Board's reluctance to include their interested
constituents in the forthcoming precedent setting referendum decision that will
permanently affect the entire Township and its future generations. Since only 38% (285 of
750) of surveyed Townspeople, (those are the EXACT numbers), supported the Town Board's
carefully worded July phone survey, there is clearly a significant percentage of people
who differ with the Town Board. It would therefore seem wise for the Town Board to INCLUDE
interested townspeople in the wording of the referendum. Unfortunately, the Town Board
continues to go to great lengths to EXCLUDE interested constituents who differ from their
view.
In their last attempt to get the answer they wanted, the Town Board secretly discussed,
designed, and decided on a survey OUTSIDE of the general public's view. How did they do
this? Easy. They worked behind closed doors. The Town Board simply DID NOT discuss the
wording of the survey at ANY Town Board Meeting, which interested citizens have continued
to attend in large number. Without any knowledge or information, interested townspeople
were simply never provided the opportunity to "submit suggestions" for the Town
Board to "consider". However, while the Town Board got the survey they wanted,
they did not get the results they hoped for.
What was the result of their backroom politics? The MAJORITY of townspeople, fully 62%,
(465 of 750 are the EXACT numbers), who either voted AGAINST the Town Board's
"Residential Use Only" proposal, or Declined to participate IN the survey, or
were UNDECIDED in their opinion about the best use of Leishman Point. One would think that
the Town Board would want to know much more from 62% of their surveyed townspeople who DID
NOT support their "Residential Only" proposal.
At August's Town Board meeting, it was very evident that the Town Board continues to
actively work behind closed doors. They said they had "consulted with numerous
Townships" and asked several legal advisors what the Town Board is "Required to
do by Law" on a referendum. Since the Town Board is so willing to work with legal and
governmental advisors OUTSIDE the Township, one would think they would be just as anxious
to work with interested taxpayers from INSIDE the Township. After all, Leishman Point is
NOT the Town Board's Land; it is the Townspeople's Land.
Let's not have a referendum that is as biased as the Town Board Survey. Form a bi-partisan
working group and allow the group to come to a consensus to accurately and fairly word the
referendum. Involving both sides in a decision is the American Way!
Mark Brady
Waddington
Originally published 08/24/2003
Ogdensburg Journal
Used with permission