To the Editor:

As Supervisor for the Town of Potsdam, I feel it is important to release a statement to the Public, in regards to a recent social media post by a current Town Board Member. On or about July 13th, 2024 a current Town Board member made a statement on social media about the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

This letter intends to make clear that the comment made is not in any way shared thoughts of this Board. The Board does not agree with the statement and denounces the comments made. This act of freedom of speech, as the Board member claims it to be, may have satisfied their own needs; the consequences have been severe to the integrity of this Board and the Community of Potsdam as a whole.

I can tell you firsthand that this selfish act of one person's satisfaction has been a nightmare for me and the rest of the Board the last couple of weeks. Even the staff at the Town Hall has had to put up with phone calls, voicemails, and emails, taking us all away from our daily duties as representatives of the Town of Potsdam. I hope the Community, especially those who are responding to the social media comments, understands that this letter is the extent of action that this Board can take. It is not within the power of the Town Government to remove a current Elected Official. The law prohibits the Board from ousting someone.

I feel that, as an Elected Official, I am here to represent all the people of this community. As Elected Officials, we need to set a higher standard of our behavior and speech to the public. These are the values I was taught.

I hope the Potsdam Community and people who responded to the statement or did not respond, do not hold this against this Board. I know this will take time, and I hope time mends some of the damage that has been done.

Marty Miller
Town of Potsdam Supervisor