wordsmith?

Veneziale interfered with, and “could have ruined” Trustee Carter Flanagan’s livelihood. He challenged the mayor on the ability for him to sit next to Carter Flanagan during the February 2 meeting, and to continue as the mayor of Garden City given his recent action by sending the letter to the WCB.

Kelly reiterated loudly, “You have disgraced the village, you have disgraced the Board of Trustees, you have attacked her livelihood – how can you possibly do that and continue to sit there? You abused the powers given to you, and you seem to have no fundamental understanding of what powers you have and what limitations there are to your powers. It is a disgrace what you have done.”

Trustee Kelly then called for Mayor Veneziale to resign as Garden City mayor immediately, and have Deputy Mayor Tom O’Brien carry out the twoyear mayoral term which ends in less than two months (the village election is on Tuesday March 21, with new trustee terms beginning with the annual reorganization this April).

To close the discussion, Trustee Bruce Chester spoke more calmly than Trustee Kelly. He told Mayor Veneziale that Garden City represents one of Long Island, New York’s most beautiful villages.

“We have a board that is supposed to be dignified. This is not Tammany Hall. This is the Village of Garden City, and this was not the way we should treat ourselves as elected officials of Garden City. I think you should certainly apologize to Trustee Carter Flanagan, and without a doubt to the rest of the board and to the residents of this village,” Chester said.

Ironically the very first order of business on February 2, after the airing of this controversy, was Mayor Veneziale’s announcement about the March 21 Village of Garden City election, taking place at the St. Paul’s Fieldhouse from noon to 9 pm. He advised on the processes for absentee ballot applications for those who will not be able to vote in-person, and that residents should contact Village Clerk Karen Altman for details, stop by Village Hall or find them posted on the Village of Garden City’s website.

“Please get out and vote. Please note that the village is advised that the fear of Covid or contracting an illness can no longer be used as an excuse not to vote in-person,” the mayor said.