New executive should revamp Board of Ethics

Dear Editor: Congratulations to Pat Ryan on his win to be our new Ulster County executive. One of the many things that I hope he looks at is abolishing the current county Board of Ethics and collaborating (now there is a unique idea) with the Legislature to change the enabling legislation for membership and appointment to the board.

How about the Legislature appoints two members; the executive appoints two, and the four members then pick a fifth from a list of applicants made up solely of members of the clergy from Ulster County?

Joseph Maloney, D-Saugerties, the legislator found to have violated ethics laws by the current board, has recently filed an appeal in court to set aside the findings of that board. I hope the court finds in Maloney’s favor. The notion of an ethics board trying to waylay or coerce an elected official into resigning right before the vote on the new Legislature chair or suffer a $7,000 fine is, in my opinion, an ethical violation on the part of the board; politics at its worst. Good luck in court, Joe. Many are rooting for your success.

Replace this board with one appointed by both Ulster County government bodies. This blunts power plays. And the fifth member being appointed by the new members themselves will allow them to debate the efficacy of their group.

Too much unshared power is not good. Hopefully, this is ending in Ulster County.

Rick Jones Kerhonkson, N.Y.