Letters to the Editor April 11

Pound Ridge man accuses town board of targeting citizen

To the Editor:

On April 2, the Pound Ridge Town Board included a seemingly innocuous agenda item — 8A —described as an “update” on the lawsuit filed by longtime resident but this wasn’t just a routine report. It was a targeted, public callout — in my opinion, slanderous and petty in nature. The town used its official platform to cast aspersions on a private citizen who is simply trying to protect her rights.

The longtime resident filed a CPLR Article 78 petition challenging the $7.6 million WIIA grant awarded to the town, citing grave concerns about the integrity of the application. Her claims include financial misrepresentations, exaggerated contamination reports, and flawed cost allocations — serious allegations that deserve impartial scrutiny, not political spin.

Rather than address these concerns or engage in honest dialogue, the town chose to publicly single her out during a board meeting, mischaracterizing her petition as an attack on the community’s access to “safe drinking water.” This framing not only distorts the facts, but it paints a concerned resident as an adversary to public health — a deeply unfair and misleading characterization.

What’s truly dangerous here is not a resident exercising her legal rights, but a local government using its institutional power to silence dissent and intimidate opposers. This agenda item sent a clear message: challenge us and we will try to publicly shame you.

Citizens should not fear retaliation for holding their government accountable. The resident’s petition deserves to be heard on its merits — not weaponized by the town in a public forum. Pound Ridge can and must do better. Accountability starts with respecting the voices of all residents, especially those who have the courage to speak truth to power.

Ronald Asaro

Pound Ridge