Angry words over mayor’s letter to trustee’s employer

“The fact that this letter was provided to others including The Garden City News is not of my doing. Village Counsel believed my request for clarification would be best-answered by the Workers’ Compensation Board, and I surmise the WCB will communicate to Trustee Flanagan, asking for her comment. While Trustee Flanagan had not yet announced that she was running for mayor, to resolve the issue a letter was sent to the WCB to request clarification. This inquiry was confidential and not shared with anyone,” Mayor Veneziale said.

He added until the time responses are received in writing, Veneziale asserts “no further comment from the Village is warranted.”

He said this sequence of actions with his letter and investigating a potential Board of Trustees’ conflict “had to happen” within his responsibilities as mayor. He commented to the trustees, and the February 2 meeting audience, “you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I did what I was told I had to do based on conversations and instruction with Village Administrator Ralph Suozzi and Village Counsel Gary Fishberg.”

Trustee Bruce Chester then interrogated Suozzi and Fishberg on their roles in the matter leading up to Mayor Veneziale’s letter to the WCB. Fishberg commented extensively on his responses to questions on possible conflicts involving the signing of village contracts, as well as the Workers’ Compensation cases before the Board of Trustees. Fishberg said he was satisfied with a conversation and explanation with Trustee Carter Flanagan about possible workers’ compensation concerns, because she pointed out that most of the issues the Village Board sees appearing on its agenda are regulated by contracts between unions and the village.

Fishberg later commented that he found it “unnecessary and inappropriate” for him to sends a letter to the WCB himself.

Trustee Lawrence Marciano asked a few more questions on this matter and Fishberg noted that he did not instruct Mayor Veneziale to send the letter to WCB. The mayor also clarified, “Attorney Fishberg said that the WCB could best address the issue.”

Marciano questioned Mayor Veneziale and challenged him on his seeking counsel’s advice. He looked closely at the statement the mayor made to begin the meeting, finding a few discrepancies between what the mayor said and what Administrator Suozzi and Attorney Fishberg explained to the board.

Moments after Mayor Veneziale gave his opening remarks about the controversy, followed by Fishberg and Suozzi’s comments on it, Trustee Charles Kelly spoke and presented harsh criticisms of the mayor for his actions in contacting Carter Flanagan’s employer, and making his letter of inquiry appear on official Village of Garden City letterhead.

One problem Kelly cited is that the village letterhead the mayor used was outdated, and listed former village trustees Colleen Foley, Louis Minuto and John Delany, who are no longer Board members.

Trustee Kelly read aloud a statement from four village trustees: himself, Trustee Terry Digan, Trustee Brue Chester and Trustee Marciano.

“We were recently made aware of Cosmo Veneziale’s January 23, 2023 letter to Trustee Carter Flanagan’s employer. We had no knowledge of this letter prior to its transmittal, and no involvement in its preparation or transmittal. We apologize to the three former village trustees whose names appeared on the letterhead that Mr. Veneziale chose to use, and assure them that such use was not a result of board action. Every trustee on this board was elected on a promise to maintain full transparency with their fellow trustees and most importantly with the residents of our village. This did not happen with Mayor Veneziale and in view of this, our board needs to weigh what steps need to be taken in response to his actions,” Kelly read from the prepared statement.

Kelly then shared his own views and did not hold back on his views that the mayor has crossed lines and violated his governmental responsibility.

He asked loudly, “In what world is it proper to contact a trustee’s employer without notice to them?”

Then Kelly stated his understanding that Mayor Veneziale used expired village letterhead to contact Trustee Carter Flanagan’s employer. He added that the mayor sent the letter without notice to Carter Flanagan, and this letter questioned the trustee’s actions as a Garden City Village Board member and her ability to run for the mayoral position. Further, no notice of this letter of inquiry to the WCB was provided to any trustee, including the current seven that serve with Mayor Veneziale or the three former trustees whose names are on the old letterhead.

“Village resources including the letterhead were used for Mayor Veneziale’s personal benefit – mainly to clear a competitor from the race for the mayor’s position. It is well-known that the leading vote-getter in this village is Mary Carter Flanagan. She had 500 more votes than you (Mayor Veneziale) two years ago. Nobody here thinks it’s a coincidence that she is the one you went behind the back of and went after by contacting her employer, without any notice to her. What kind of a person does that? Where do you think you have the authority to do that?” Kelly asked the mayor.

He said the mayor is incorrect to state he decides on actions the Village of Garden City takes, as the board of trustees decide on actions collectively.

Kelly shouted at Mayor Veneziale, “You don’t hire, you don’t fire, you don’t approve million-dollar contracts – the Board of Trustees does. That seems to be lost on you, despite the fact you have been in that office for the last 22 months. All of this was done without any approval or even consultation with the Village Board of Trustees. It is stunning that someone could take village resources, use them for their own benefit to knock out the top candidate for mayor and then to sit here and tell us all there was no political motive. While Trustee Chester has called this action ‘despicable’ given my job, I think it is just a disgrace, a tragedy and an embarrassment!” Kelly said.

He noted how since both Mayor Veneziale and Trustee Carter Flanagan were elected in 2021, close to 22 months ago, they have sat next to each other for every Board of Trustees meeting, only for the mayor to violate principles.

“You never turned to her and said, ‘hey is this okay with you voting on workers’ compensation things?’ What kind of a person never turns to the person who has sat next to them for 22 months, and says they have a question to ask. Instead you wrote to her employer, without notice to her – how vicious is that?” Kelly asked.

He then commented that Mayor