Letters to the Editor: in support of changing the Danby highway superintendent from elected to appointed

Currently, there are NO qualifications required to lead this $1,000,000 organization. Changing to appointed allows the Town Board to establish reasonable qualifications and hire the most qualified candidate for the job instead of choosing this person by a popularity contest.

This is a non-political position.

All cities, all villages, all counties, and 91 towns in NY State appoint their Highway Superintendents. This is not a radical proposal.

If you were creating a modern, efficient, responsible Town government from scratch, it would probably not even occur to you to make the Highway Superintendent an elected position. Having this be an elected position is a holdover from the 1800’s and really doesn’t make sense today.

This change, if enacted, would take place on January 1, 2020, and would not affect the term of the current Highway Superintendent.