By Kat Leslie
In January 2020, following Roger Gavan’s article “Changing the Face of Downtown,” another Warwick resident wrote about the Village of Florida as an example of a thriving and supportive community “that allows for creativity and innovation to stimulate revenues, commerce, and prosperity.”
“Although a close neighbor to us [ the Village of Warwick] Florida seems to be light years ahead of our village. Many businesses, builders, and investors find themselves stifled by the rigid and antiquated restrictions imposed by the local governing body. Just like the Village of Florida and the Town of Warwick, our village would greatly benefit from innovation that is not trampled by bureaucracy, which seems to be the main focus of our government officials today.” – Stephen Kitar, Village of Warwick resident
When I reached Mr. Kitar for comment, he answered: “I genuinely praised Mayor Harter and the then-current Village Board for the revival of Florida Main Street and the business renaissance the Village was experiencing, showcasing the differing approaches of the two municipalities.”
Many things have happened since then – COVID, new elections, new terms, new boards. Yet, as we see today, things are not significantly different between the two villages. Both mayors are the only municipal leaders in the Greater Warwick area who have relegated their duties to constituents and ceased reporting to residents through the hometown newspaper. Similar to the Village of Warwick, consistently sued by its own residents, Florida appears to be catching up with this unpopular trend.
The news of Mayor Daniel Harter, Jr. being sued by Village residents was “the talk of the village” on a beautiful Sunday afternoon during Florida FunFest. Attending such events is an excellent way to stay connected to the community’s pulse, socialize with friends and neighbors, meet familiar faces, and have access to local leaders who are vital to such functions.
So, with no mayor in sight to comment or verify, I witnessed a Warwick resident approach Elizabeth Cassidy, Village of Florida Legal Counsel, who was campaigning as a candidate for Town of Warwick Justice. After hearing an optimistic spiel from the hopeful candidate, he politely inquired about any other lawsuits filed or pending against the Village, its Board, or the Village Mayor. The answer was vague, incorrect, or perhaps the Counselor was misinformed or not entirely truthful when she replied that this is the only one she’s aware of. Hiding the truth from public inquiries seems to be the favored game of both village boards, as there has been no response to an official FOIL request for the same information and its legal cost to taxpayers, from the Village of Warwick since being filed in January 2022 by a Warwick resident.
Apart from being a well-known halfway shopping stop between the two villages, Flowick seems to be evolving with a different definition within the context of recent developments. It is emerging as the unique and latest governing trend, practiced by both villages, that spreads like a virus. This trend not only blurs the borders between the two municipalities but has also resulted in numerous lawsuits, accusations of nepotism, questions regarding relationships among board members, and the appropriateness of the Board’s composition, all of which have migrated and taken root in the neighboring village.
This hot summer has not been kind to either community, as the village Board passed “new and improved” local laws. In July, the Village of Warwick Board announced an increase in all construction fees and permits, effectively eliminating any future affordable housing or rentals within the village boundaries. Judge for yourself: as of July 3, 2023, the new house permit application fee was increased by a staggering 1330%, combined water and sewer fees were set at a hefty $21,000, and the water meter fee was raised from $500 to $1,200.
In the follow up August 7th meeting, Board Member Collura announced the creation of a “village newsletter and a podcast.” Mayor Newhard declared, “It gives voice to our government.” I won’t delve here into the dangers of government-owned news or media versus the benefits of independent sources and journalism.
However, as a resident of the community served by the same local independent newspaper since 1885 and the same community radio station for the past half-century, I have one question: Why? And as a village taxpayer, I have another question: Are we once again expected to foot the bill for the board member’s pet projects? Mary Collura announced a collaboration with Jennifer O’Connor and Katie Bisaro and promised that the trio would do things “less expensively, so we can spend more money on color.” Are we to shoulder the burden of yet another experiment and give money to the very people who could retain neither the business they were entrusted with and its clientele, nor respective radio audience? Why should taxpayers fund it, and what happened to their latest effort, “Scene Zene”?
Only a few days earlier, on August 2nd, the Village of Florida Board had its own noteworthy meeting. At that meeting, appalled residents took turns expressing their disappointment with the Mayor and the Board Members’ silence regarding his actions. One resident stated,
“The Mayor took it upon himself to open the road closed for emergency access only. That action by the Mayor now endangers families on our street. Our attorney has confirmed that the Mayor’s actions violated prior Planning Board subdivision approval. And, to add insult to injury, the Mayor also acted without seeking any approval from the Village Board of Trustees, who were elected to be a voice in village matters. Therefore, the Mayor took away our voice and the voices of others who depend on the rule of law in our Village.” – Aaron Ubides, Florida resident
Another resident at the same meeting, which can be found on the village’s website, asked the following questions: “Who authorized it [without board’s approval]? Who physically went out and did it? Isn’t there a process? Am I correct [addressing Elizabeth Cassidy, Village Lawyer]? Is there a process? How dare you do it? This Board should be conscious of honesty! I’m extremely disappointed!” The Village Board or Attorney did not provide any answers to that outburst.
Following that meeting, the Village Attorney was served with an Article 78 Proceeding alleging that “The Mayor [Harter] acted without any lawful procedure, in a totally arbitrary and capricious manner and without Village Board approval or even knowledge, that abused whatever lawful discretion that the Mayor had under New York State Law.”
There was no public comment from the Mayor, Board, or the Village Attorney aside from the response given by Elizabeth Cassidy during Florida FunFest on Sunday. The Mayor himself was seen mingling in the crowd, sporting an incognito look, apparently with little desire to be noticed. I was later told that he was wearing an oversized hat and sunglasses, falling just a tad short of the “fake-nose-and-mustache” mask favored by Halloween party-goers and pranksters. I truly hope this is not the new face of local leadership.
Local residents Aaron Ubides and Stephen Kitar contributed to this report.
