To the Editor:

My comments tonight (Jan. 24) respond to those made about me at the last City Council meeting.

First, I thank Councillors Kennedy, Powers and Skamperle for speaking on my behalf in support of having certain language removed from the City Manager’s press release posted on the City of Ogdensburg’s official website on December 28.

At the last meeting Mayor Skelly did not address the concerns I asked City Council to consider but instead made comments to the effect that while I am well respected, I continually use incorrect numbers in my comments to City Council. He stated I use incorrect numbers from one side of an issue to support the outcome I want, and that because of my status I should do a better job and come to City Council with correct numbers.

Members of City Council, I can assure you of the following:

1. When I refer to historical numbers pertaining to city finances, I find my information at the city’s official website, looking at the city's past audited financial statements and/or adopted city budget reports, which include actual detailed revenue and expenses for prior years. I trust these figures are accurate.

2. When I attempt to forecast future revenue and expense for a given period, I look at prior financial history for information, for trends, and I refer to information shared with the City Council by the City Manager and/or the City Comptroller.

In both circumstances, I attempt to interpret the information available in making judgments. I do not develop a preconceived idea and then make up numbers or skew numbers to fit them into such a judgment.

People can look at financial information and form differing opinions about the same set of numbers, that doesn’t make the numbers incorrect. When forecasting people can come up with different estimates of revenue and expense based on their interpretation of the information at hand. When you ask the City Comptroller for estimates I trust the information she shares with you, and I use it in part as the basis for judgments I might comment on regards city finances.

I assure you my motives are honorable.

Next, based on comments made by the City Manager at the last meeting I think there is confusion about one concern I brought to the City Council. As Councillor Powers indicated at the last meeting, my concerns about public comments made by city officials are specific to the city’s official website, www.ogdensburg.org. There was reference at the last meeting about other social media sites where discussions occur about city affairs, please know that I am not active in any of these other media sites, I do not participate in discussions at these sites. The concerns I express to the City Council are about communications posted at the city’s official website, www.ogdensburg.org.

The following statements are included in the City Manager’s press release posted on the City’s official website on December 28: “… Please don’t be fooled by the relentless local government disruptors to use this as an opportunity to advance criticism of the proactive changes taking place in the City and don’t rely on the baseless opinion letters written by self-proclaimed experts expressing disappointment that City Leaders no longer pander to County officials determined to destroy the City.” In my view, this type of editorial comment is not appropriate at a municipality’s official website. It may be more appropriate at other social media sites, or as a letter to the editor in local newspapers, but not at the City’s official website.

At the end of the last meeting when I described this as a “one-way Facebook posting”, the point I was trying to make was that there is no opportunity for rebuttal to be posted at the site.

I personally find another statement made in this press release troubling. The City Manager states, “2022 is an opportunity for County Residents to replace each and every corrupt and incompetent County Elected and Appointed Official. Please encourage your family, friends and neighbors that possess high degrees of integrity, concern for public trust and commitment to reform local government to seek office.” Does City Council believe this is a statement allowable on the city’s official website? Is this an official position of the City of Ogdensburg? How would you react if a neighboring community published a statement at their website seeking the defeat of current City Council members who might run for re-election in 2023? Would you think it an appropriate comment at their municipal website?

As I stated in the past, it is up to the City Council to determine if editorial comment is appropriate on the City’s website. I suggest it is not.

Michael J. Tooley
Ogdensburg