Solar Eclipse

The Rotterdam Town Board took another step recently toward operating in the shadows when they ceded power to appoint engineers to the Planning Commission. Of course, the move was touted by the majority of the Town Board as a means toward expediency. Developer interest was served over resident interest. The sole dissenting vote was cast by Mr. Mertz.

The problem with this procedural change is that it undermines ultimate Town Board accountability and pushes engineer selection further into the shadows. Transparency and open government are among the most fundamental and important aspects of effective governance. The passage of this measure seriously erodes those principles.

Who will ensure that potential conflicts of interest are properly scrutinized and disclosed? What are the criteria that will be used to qualify for the “preferred” engineer list? What are the criteria that will be used to be selected from the list? Will this selection process be uniform and public? Is it proper that the Planning Commission is the only unelected town body with the ability to hire/fire now? Who will be accountable to us, the taxpayer, when things go awry as a result?

Transparency in Rotterdam just became more opaque. I still have not heard a convincing argument for why this change is necessary and how it will benefit me as a taxpayer. I don’t like it.