Deer Park mayor corrects facts
I would like to respond to Richard Chay's letter in your paper dated Sept. 24 since he failed to give the public all of the facts.
The Vehe Farm Foundation has requested that a windmill, seen in old pictures, be erected on the property. This windmill will be paid for only by donations and by a donor matching them dollar for dollar. No village funds will be used for this project -- a major detail Chay knew but failed to mention.
Secondly, five trustees spoke in favor of the windmill, but two wanted different materials.
Chay's concern over the outbuildings is very confusing. Months ago, when he ran for trustee and lost, I recall him advocating selling the entire municipal complex to a developer so they could tear everything down and build homes. The village would have lost open space, wasted the time and money used to restore the facility, let alone the millions of dollars needed to erect a new village hall. Talk about being irresponsible.
No village funds have been diverted to the restoration of the Vehe Farm nor has it delayed road maintenance. This project was budgeted from the beginning. Chay clearly doesn't know the facts.
The village is in good financial shape. We should have more than $1 million in reserves at the end of the fiscal year.
In the past, Chay has talked about a property tax on the residents of Deer Park. I will NEVER advocate or vote for a property tax. The village is looking at a referendum request to the village residents to approve an increase in the sales tax to finance our roads, drainage and bike path projects. Chay once again has tried to mislead the citizens.
Mr. Chay asks, "What was I thinking." I'm thinking Chay has a hard time telling the whole truth.
Scott Gifford
Deer Park village president