I would like to start this column, which will run in the Beacon from time to time, thanking everyone who voted in the last election. Voting is a privilege and responsibility. It is the basis of a democratic society and also provides feedback to your elected officials regarding the views of the people.

One thing became very evident to me during this election. The perception of the daily responsibilities of the Mayor and Board and the actual daily responsibilities are very different. Whether the basis of the contradiction was purposeful campaign rhetoric or not is insignificant. What is significant, however, is that the perceived job description is more consistent with the role as it may have existed in the past. The job today has evolved into a much more hands-on, full-time, daily responsibility. Our society and Village have changed over the years and I believe it's time to recognize that the job has changed. It is my role to set the record straight and inform the community as to the day-to-day activities of the Village Board.

During this past campaign, there were often comparisons made between the School Board and the Village Board. Therefore, I will use those two entities in my explanation. The only similarity between these two boards is that the Trustees are all elected. The similarity ends there.

The Mayor is like the Superintendent of the Schools and the Trustees are like other administrators. The Village Board members are employees of Babylon Village. School Board members are not employees.

The Village Board oversees and is directly responsible for the day-today activities of our community. Just as the Superintendent directs and supervises the activities of the schools, the Mayor is doing the same with the Village. When we have major storms, vandalism, accidents, maintenance issues, hirings, negotiations, disputes, resident complaints, etc., I must directly deal with these problems and issues and determine, along with the other board members, how to best handle them. Sometimes that requires working on holidays, evenings and on weekends. The board also deals with, researches and analyzes ways in which the Village can save taxpayer money.

The Superintendent, on the other hand, reports these issues to the School Board.

On a typical day, I may return 15- 20 phone calls, attend three meetings, call state, county and federal agencies for assistance, meet with employees and residents, attend community events and do a myriad of paperwork. It is a similar situation with the Trustees. This hands-on approach saves the taxpayer a tremendous amount of tax dollars and allows the Village to act quickly.

The community expects us to be there when they have a problem just as they expect the principal to be in the school. The community does not expect the School Board members to be in the school or attend to their personal issues. We, the Village Board, are the Superintendent and principals.

There is one very big difference, however. If the community is not happy with our performance, they can vote us out of office. If the community is not happy with the Superintendent, they cannot vote her out. She is beholden to the School Board that represents the community, while the Village Board is beholdenPP P to the residents. The residents directly determine who runs the Village; the School Board determines who runs the schools.

Our previous Mayor set a standard that the community has come to rely upon and expect as the norm. He was in the office most days, supervised daily operations, attended most functions and was involved in the daily activities of this community and its residents. The community expects the Mayor to be available to them around the clock. The Village keeps a record of our time spent doing Village business. I average 200 hours each month. This does not include work done from the home. As an employee of the Village, I work full time.

I believe that I need to improve communication so residents can accurately understand the role of the Village Board. Therefore, in an attempt to do this, I will be placing a letter to the community twice a month on the Village website explaining the goings on at Village hall. I think many of you will be quite surprised to see all that is happening.

Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss any issue. I can be reached at Village Hall, 669-1212; at home at 669-0058 or on my cell at 431-4109. My email address is rsvob@ optonline.net. Or, as I prefer, stop in to see me.