Robert Friedlander: Small Town Fire Sale?

Robert Friedlander has some mad on Valentine’s Day 2022. Citizens of New York’s Whitesboro Village are not feeling the love this Valentine’s Day as Mayor Robert Friedlander gave away land, fire engines, and equipment belonging to local taxpayers in a move some experts call “questionable…at best.”

“In other municipalities where an elected official unilaterally gives away city equipment it prompts outside investigations to see what the elected official is receiving for that decision,” said Kathryn Morales, Chief Operating Officer for the September 11 Foundation.

She continued, “these moves almost always cost the taxpayers in the long run either due to corruption or incompetence.”

In jurisdictions in other states like Arizona and Texas there have been significant financial impacts on the municipality when elected leaders choose to give away taxpayer resources. In this case, a building, the land it sits on, and fire apparatus and equipment were all given away.

There is also an underlying concern that this might be a preliminary move to dissolve the village itself by making it financial unsustainable. Currently the Village of Whitesboro relies heavily on income from fire services and levies.

Robert Friedlander Leadership

Friedlander has not responded to a request for comment or clarification, but he is up for re-election in 2022.

Whitesboro citizens would have to rely on outside investigation though as former Police Chief Jason Buley passed away last year and Mayor Friedlander has still not appointed a replacement.