Good morning,
When the Warren County board approved on Feb. 20 the local law allowing the county to sell the Westmount nursing home as part of a “request of proposal” (RFP) process the supervisors also voted to allow citizens to petition for the nursing home sale to be put to a vote at the next election as a proposition.
Some Warren County citizens have elected to execute this legal right to petition backed by the Feb. 20 county resolution and state law. Here are the documents they have assembled for this effort:
Westmount Petition: http://www.westcottupny.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Westmount-Petition1.pdf
Facts provided by Travis Whitehead, Queensbury resident: http://www.westcottupny.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Westmount-Petition-FAQ1.pdf
I was asked by a constituent to pass this material onto you. These citizens are executing their legal rights and I consider it my responsibility to honor their request to post this material. It is of course up to you whether or not you sign the petition, or help them to collect the signatures. I am going to sign the petition.
2,000 signatures are required for the nursing home sale to go to a public vote. They have until the end of March to collect the needed signatures. For questions regarding the petition, you can call Travis Whitehead at 518-798-7455.
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WESTMOUNT PRESS COVERAGE
Adirondack Journal: Here is an article regarding the petition effort – http://www.adirondackjournal.com/news/2015/mar/02/controversial-westmount-sale-may-go-public-vote/.
LookTV – Beaty Westcott interview: http://www.looktvonline.com/westcott-beaty-westmount-nursing-home-sale/
The Chronicle: Please pick up this week’s paper to read Supervisor Brock’s letter in The Chronicle titled “County Board failed to verify facts about company buying Westmount.”
The Post Star Coverage:
- Beaty/McDevitt/Westcott Westmount Town Hall: http://poststar.com/news/local/crowd-turns-out-to-hear-concerns-about-westmount-sale/article_7788fb56-b247-11e4-83d6-f7b51cb0a190.html
- New Numbers come out for Westmount: http://poststar.com/news/local/new-numbers-re-ignite-debate-over-county-nursing-home-sale/article_fca758e8-b894-11e4-b92d-2fe3d2299d70.html
- The Post Star Editorial Board criticizes Beaty – Westcott: http://poststar.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-board-of-supervisors-drags-its-feet-on-westmount-sale/article_84002088-b8ac-11e4-abd6-5b20b8e3d7b6.html
- Board Votes to Move forward with Sale: http://poststar.com/news/local/warren-county-supervisors-move-forward-with-plans-to-sell-westmount/article_f16cc78c-b921-11e4-b926-83e28776f86c.html
It is my number one priority while serving on this board to do my best to inform people of what is taking place at the county.
I’m sure to come under criticism by some for passing this information onto you. I would remind the critics that it was the county board that passed the resolution backed by state law providing the legal right to do this petition, and it is up to the citizens of Warren County to determine whether or not to sign it.
Whether you agree or not with the petition this is a case where people are exercising their rights. It is Democracy in action.
Mark Westcott