Before the ink was dry on the oath of office, the meeting was deliberately held up so that Gold could be seated. As the clerk seemed unprepared to perform a swearing in during the middle of a town board meeting. That sequence of events raises a straightforward question: why was his presence so urgently needed?
The answer came moments later.
Watch: Supervisor stipends approved (34:08)Agenda items 6, 7, and 8 — resolutions establishing stipends for the Hotel & Tourism Facility Tax Collection role, the MS4 Stormwater Management Officer role, and a budget officer stipend increase — were all approved. Supervisor Wojehowski justified the stipends by claiming the prior Town Board had already agreed to them.
But the record raises serious doubts about that claim.
Councilman McCarty — a holdover from the prior board — abstained from the votes. If the prior board had already reached consensus on these stipends, why would one of its own members decline to vote in favor? Abstention is not affirmation. It is, at minimum, a signal that the matter was not as settled as the Supervisor suggested.
Also notably absent: the pointed public objection from Councilwoman Michael-Razi that residents have come to expect when she has concerns. Instead, she voted yes — quietly, without comment. Draw your own conclusions.
The stipends passed. They passed because Wynn Gold was seated moments before the vote was called.
If you see Ms. Scott or Judge Reyes around town, we encourage you to ask them directly: was this truly agreed upon by the prior board in the fall — or was this meeting choreographed to push through compensation that never had a genuine consensus?
View the Meeting Agenda (PDF)The public deserves a straight answer.
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