In a recent campaign flyer, candidate for the Town of Tusten town board, Ned Lang, wrote that: “Our Zoning Rewrite Committee has now been comprised mostly of individuals whom are not taxpayers/stakeholders and are deciding the future direction of our Town.”

This statement is inaccurate; which can be easily refuted by a glance at public records. The committee members pay taxes. Furthermore, these comments discredit the reputations of a committee comprised of the Tusten town supervisor, town clerk, assessor, planning board chairman, past and present chairmen of the zoning board, past town board members and other citizens whose collective contributions to the town exceed a century of volunteer efforts and public service. That makes them stakeholders.

The zoning law is not the comprehensive plan. The plan, approved in 2007, had already set future goals for growth. The zoning law is enacted in accordance with that plan—by law. The zoning committee is an advisory board and makes no final decisions regarding the future direction of our town.

I merely want to set the record straight before a very public falsehood becomes established as fact.

Anthony Ritter

Narrowsburg, NY