To the editor:

Our village is under assault by the local socialist party, and these socialists want to take over the village board on Sept. 15, Election Day for Saranac Lake.

The socialists want to defund our police department and replace cops with mental health workers … while our police force is already at a staffing bare minimum.

They want to give out free medical care to all village residents, which would double our already high village tax rates.

They want the village to pressure the state into releasing the “elder” prisoners at nearby Adirondack Correctional, due to COVID, regardless of whether they are convicted murderers or rapists.

Unfortunately, there are no Republicans running in this village election, in which two trustees will be chosen. However, there are two village board veterans running, Tom Catillaz and Rich Shapiro, who will hold the line against the socialists … and they really need your vote.

You see, the Sept. 15 election is forecast to be a “low turnout” election due to its unusual date, and the socialists are counting on just that as they organize and go to the polls en masse to turn over the board and take over our village.

I therefore ask you to make it a special point to vote this Sept. 15 to stop this socialist agenda, the loss of our police officers and the resulting tax hikes that will happen should they be successful.

The Sept. 15 polls are open at the Harrietstown Town Hall from noon to 9 p.m.. If you cannot be there in person, just give me a shout, and we will get an absentee ballot application to you as quickly as possible.

Please protect our village and vote Catillaz and Shapiro on Sept. 15.

Thank you,

Jeff Branch

Saranac Lake