North Castle Restricts Free Speech

Many town residents are unaware of the Town Board's efforts to restrict dissent and free speech at public meetings. Michael Fareri has been a frequent critic and gadfly of the current administration. He has taken every opportunity to lambast the Board for its irresponsible wasteful policies. Mr. Fareri has been frustrated by the board's no-growth policies. No doubt much of his ire has been raised by self-interest. However, in this instance, his self-interest is clearly alligned with the Town's vital interests.

At a meeting several months ago, Fareri raised the issue that the board members were padding their hours worked or on call, in order to qualify for enhanced retirement benefits. Whether they are entitled to any benefits at all is a discussion for another day. But finally, the Board was called on this issue. He wanted to know how councilmen could qualify for full-time retirement benefits when they were only working several hours per week. He was met with outrage by Berman and her associates. The Board was completely unconcerned that this illegal practice was costing taxpayers thousands in wrongful pension contributions.

Some believe that Berman's generally bright attitude has never been the same.

To Berman's credit, she went to the New York State Comptroller's Office in Albany to get an opinion. Never mind that in the past twenty (20) years, the Comptroller's Office twice ruled against the Town on this very same matter. This was an attempt to prove Einstein's theory, that "the definition of insanity is attempting the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result." The Comptroller again decided against the Town. Hence, the full-time retirement benefits for the part-time board are history.

But there is another question that has not been asked or answered. The Town pays Town Attorney Rolland Baroni, hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Why couldn't Baroni figure out this very simple legal question?

Prior to this confrontation, there were no time restrictions during the Public Comment segment of each Town Board meeting. However, as a result of Berman's and the Board's total outrage at having been exposed in this fraud, she unilaterally restricted all public comment to three (3). Thus abridging the free speech and democratic rights of the entire town. One has to wonder whether there was a less restrictive alternative to dealing with the often justified criticisms of one community member.