WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. May 3, 2006: Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio, taking note of Monday evening's Council meeting and promise of work sessions to "tweak" the Comprehensive Plan Review, demands open work sessions where the public can speak:
John,
Wouldn't it be nice if our mayor and council would conduct their so called work sessions in the council chambers as Town Hall Meetings where interested citizens could come and learn about the wisdom of decisions about to be made on behalf of the taxpaying public.
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Questions could be asked of our elected officials and we would better be able to understand how decisions affecting our lives were arrived at. It would also go a long way toward achieving participatory government and fulfill promises made by elected officials before they were elected.
I recall holding a televised Town Hall Meeting in White Plains when the local press and County government were convinced that 100% reassessment would be a tax saving advantage for us. We invited Albany officials and local citizens to an open forum to address the pros and cons of the issue. It was both enlightening and rewarding, even for me, I might add. The tape of that meeting must still be available in City Hall somewhere. People gained some understanding of an issue that was loaded with half-truths and some outright lies.
Think we can convince the council to change the work sessions to Town Hall Meetings where we can have an exchange of ideas between the citizens and elected officials?
Alfred Del Vecchio
