Statement by Monticello PBA
calling for censure of the Mayor

Note: The following statement was read aloud by John Riegler, president of the Monticello Police Benevolent Association, at a May 5 Monticello village board of trustees meeting. It bore the fax heading of lawyer Loran Shlevin.]

By virtue of the apparent misuse and abuse of his elected office, twice in two weeks, that we know of, and in consideration of prior abuses and his accumulative questionable conduct, remember that Trustee Friedland and the sand, [sic] we ask the Board of the Village of Monticello, to issue a resolution condemning the bias statement made by the Mayor Robert Friedland.

We further ask this Board to issue a resolution censuring Mayor Friedland's conduct when he appeared to exceed his lawful authority in what appeared to be an attempt by him to influence the Chief of Police of the village to violate state and local ethics and civil service law, and Friedland told him to appoint his son to a position for which he either does not or cannot qualify.

We further ask this Board to issue a resolution condemning Mayor Friedland for his outrageous abuse of his elected office and scary compromise of the functioning of the Village of Monticello Police Department, undercover and otherwise, by threatening the telephone carrier, himself, until it was revealed otherwise confidential matter to him, and then, as if he wasn't ultra vires enough, allowing his wife to exercise official government powers, when she is neither an elected or appointed village official, when she further allegedly threatened this telephone carrier, the result of which is that she may now be in possession of otherwise confidential information.

Over two years ago, when he was elected Trustee, now Mayor Friedland, was a major player in the infamous "Musical Chairs," for which this Village has never stopped paying, in public disgrace, legal censure and real money. He apologized. Recently he became embroiled in the above episode involving ethics, minorities, and of course the Village police department. He apologized. But his apology wasn't good enough and he again is the cause of considerable controversy and possibly the otherwise unnecessary expenditure of public monies. There is no apology known to us that covers compromising the security of Village police officers and citizens. In any event, he hasn't apologized.

We regret the loss of two otherwise qualified and dignified Village Managers. As you know the incumbent Village Manager has resigned as of this month, due to what he attributes, in part, to Mayor Friedland's meddling, interference and abuse of office.

We are saddened and disgraced, yet again, by the behavior of this elected government official. Mayor Friedland gives us no alternative but to cause us to join [sic] with the Times Herald Record and other local media in asking this Board to request that Mayor Robert Friedland, for the good of the people and business community of the Village of Monticello, do the right thing, step down and tender his resignation.

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