On December 20 the Wawarsing Town Council voted 3-1 to approve a three-year contract with Rally New York Limited so that they may hold their races on Wawarsing roads as often as two times per year. The Journal has no official stand on the rally racing event other than to note that racing is a part of the area's history with many longtime residents recall the “hill climb” races that took place some decades ago.

However, we do take issue with the manner in which the proposition was voted. Supervisor James Dolaway, Councilwoman Ruth Ann Gunter and Councilman John Gavaris voted to approve the race while Councilman Terry Houck voted “no” and Councilman Tom Geelan was not present. At first blush, the vote looks like normal parliamentary procedure: an item is brought up, discussed and voted on. But this was the last meeting for outgoing Dolaway and Gunter - their last chance to shape the town's future.

At the meeting, in addition to criticizing the alleged economic effects that Rally New York claimed to bring to local businesses, there was another message from the public. Wait. What was the great hurry to approve a contract for an issue that had generated so much controversy? Especially when two new council members would take over just eleven days later.

What the audience members and Councilman Houck both requested was that the board's two outgoing members not saddle the new board with a contract that it may or may not want to honor. This request was denied and the audience's frustration was immediately evident as they shouted and groaned while walking to the doors in disgust.

One of the major complaints leveled at the board in August when it approved the one-time Rally New York contract was that the matter was introduced to the community in an uncomfortably brief and ramshackle way. One argument for the rush then was that the race organizers needed an answer quickly since their races were scheduled for the first week of September. Another argument reasoned that the town should try to accommodate the event's organizers in the hope of receiving economic benefits from a race that was supposed to draw 35 to 50 participants and hundreds of spectators. It was an experiment.

But now, the year's first race isn't scheduled until April and still there was a push to approve the agreement. Why?

At the meeting, Dolaway responded to similar comments by saying that it is policy to approve a number of agreements with organizations like the Ulster County Development Corporation and the YMCA. Neither of these organizations has ever incited the same public debate as the road rally. The actions of those three council members that night were both cheap and contemptible - not the actions of public servants who put the interests of their community first.

As we speed into this new year, let's hope we can leave such tactics in the rear view mirror.

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