To the editor:

It’s about trust, I think.

As we consider our choices for village government in our next election, whom do we trust?

Some time ago, our mayor was accused of being involved in a physical altercation with our previous village manager. Having read reports in this newspaper about the event and subsequent investigation, I don’t believe the mayor is someone I can fully trust.

I have been dismayed at the opacity of decision-making regarding the proposed Emergency Services Building on Petrova Ave. I absolutely agree that our emergency services personnel need more space and resources to do their critical work, but I do not trust that the proposed building is the best way to achieve this goal. So many questions have simply not been addressed, and Mark Wilson’s recent guest commentary in this paper raised many more questions about the process of securing the contractor. All along, it has appeared to me that some members of local government were committed to a previously-determined outcome regardless of environmental impacts, resident concerns, or the future consequences to taxpayers.

One promising alternative might be the New York National Guard building, a massive facility already in place. I am heartened that potential use of that space is now being explored. Maybe it won’t work out. But until we investigate the option, we won’t know.

Who can I trust to do the work required to make the best choices — not just for today, but for the future? I do not begrudge the taxes I pay as a village homeowner, but I want to be able to trust that people making decisions about the village’s future will be mindful of ramifications.

That is why I plan to vote for Affordability, Civility, Transparency: Kelly Brunette, Dave Trudeau, and Jeremy Evans. I want to be able to trust my local government.

Susan Nagle Olsen

Saranac Lake