Dispute over election sparks firefighter suspensions

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Dispute over election sparks firefighter suspensions

By Ashley Kelly

Times Herald-Record

December 20, 2007

cuddebackville — Several volunteer firefighters have either been suspended or resigned after disagreeing with the outcome of a recent election — a move that leaves the area with fewer members to fight blazes.

So the Cuddebackville department is depending more heavily on outside companies to assist them, including Huguenot, Westbrookville and Sparrowbush.

Members say their votes for chief were overridden by the board of commissioners, who appointed someone else after the Dec. 6 election.

First Assistant Chief Colin Brennan ran against incumbent Clint Brown for chief. Brennan won the election, but the board appointed Brown.

"How can you not honor the election — it's an election," Brennan said. "It's totally not in the interest of the department or the taxpayer that deserves protection."

Outraged by the commissioners' move, members threw their equipment down in protest at a meeting last week. Members say the board suspended at least five of them for 30 days for reacting to their appointment.

Commissioner Mike Grant denied that the board suspended any of the members — instead saying it was a departmental decision.

"We have the right to not approve a line officer according to town law," said Grant, refusing to comment further.

Brown could not be reached for comment yesterday.

There are normally 12 members of the department who are trained to fight fires, Brennan said.

Capt. Kevin Belsten resigned after the election results were voided.

"This offends me in so many ways it is hard to describe," Belsten said in a statement yesterday. "To me, elections are sacred and their results must be lived with whether or not you like the result."

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Apparently the writer of the article, or, more importantly the group crying foul doesn't know the law involving chief elections as the chief is not an elected department member. The department nominates a person for chief and it's up the the commissioners to accept or reject the nomination. What the commissioners are supposed to do is send the rejected nomination to back to the department instead of appointing someone else.