LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Ogdensburg Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly

Sept. 30, 2020

An open letter to the residents of Ogdensburg:

I was dismayed and alarmed to see the actions of some members of the
Ogdensburg Fire Department as well as others at the Monday, Sept. 28
Ogdensburg City Council meeting at City Hall.
The smell of alcohol was thick in the air coming from many of the so-called public
servants who attended, and their actions, comments and body language
throughout the meeting were a clear attempt on their part to intimidate, frighten
and bully those of us elected to office.
One off duty fireman even went so far as to physically assault a member of city
staff, an incident that is now under investigation and charges are being
considered. The victim has sought medical attention.
Since being elected to office, the new members of City Council have been faced
with tough decisions over how to stop the city from sliding ever closer to
bankruptcy. There simply isn’t enough money to cover expenses, given the
multiple-year contracts calling for pay increases that were handed out by the
previous elected board. There is also the cost of major infrastructure repairs that
must be made. The problems involving the city and its finances are genuine and
complex.
The cuts we have made, and the cuts we are considering are not easy, and it is
not unexpected that tempers might run high among those likely to be affected
like our first responders.
However, turning a public meeting into an alcohol-fueled hostile mob is
unacceptable. As mayor I am exploring multiple options for ensuring that such
violence does not occur at future meetings as we continue to look for solutions to
the city’s financial problems.
Physically assaulting city staff, hurling profanities at public officials and other
aggressive acts can never be tolerated, especially when such actions come from
public employees. The job of any first responder should be to protect and save
life, not to attempt to physically and emotionally harm others.
There is nothing wrong with residents and public employees disagreeing with the
elected City Council and its policies, however there is a clear line between civil
discourse and violence.
Those who showed up drunk to Monday’s meeting for no other reason than to
attempt to create a violent and hostile environment should be ashamed of their
actions.

Jeffrey M. Skelly
Mayor of Ogdensburg