Letter to the Editor: Republicans Against Sharing Recreation Supervisor

• The following is a letter to the editor from the Hastings-on Hudson Republican Party. Click here for a story on the proposal for Hastings and Dobbs Ferry to share a parks and recreation superintendent.

The Hastings Republican Committee, in its meeting on Monday, March 25, discussed the upcoming shared-services proposal for the Recreation Departments in Dobbs Ferry and Hastings-on-Hudson.

After hearing information presented by the mayor at the March 19t Hastings Board meeting, the GOP committee voted as a body to submit a statement opposing any current proposal sharing Recreation Department services between the two villages.

The main argument against this proposal is that it simply does not seem to save the village a significant amount of money.

No one has been able to document where the savings will come from in adding a part-time superintendent to the Hastings village staff. It would seem prudent of the village to use the staff that it already has, thereby maximizing the potential of existing employees without adding to the ballooning pension and benefit costs of the village. 

Another issue at hand is the potential merger of programs in the two villages, and how that merger will affect those most dependent on local services—namely, senior citizens.

Any merger of programs, especially senior citizen programs, would be detrimental to our community and our beautiful new community center. For the first time in years, the Hastings Recreation Department has created enjoyable, profitable programs, and more than justified its existence. Why make changes to something that is clearly working, and getting better with each season? 

The committee feels that, if the Board of Trustees insists on pursuing this proposal, the best solution would be to put the mayor's proposal up for a public referendum. This way, Hastings taxpayers can decide for themselves the ramifications of this crucial issue, which will impact the fiber of Hastings for years to come. 

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For more information on the Hastings Republican Committee, please contact us at HastingsGOP@yahoo.com