Killing a committee is no way to silence critics

Fair Haven Mayor William Leonard made the right move in deciding not to disband the borough’s Long Range Planning Committee.

Leonard was initially going to dissolve the committee, which is submitting reports to the governing body about the future direction of growth in the borough, but when members told him they did not feel their job was over, the mayor wisely opted to allow the panel to continue its work.

However, the words of Councilman Brian O’Reilly would lead people to believe there was something more to the discussion of disbanding the group than believing it had completed its task.

With the committee continuing, O’Reilly sought to at least dismiss its chairman, Peter Kusulas. He said he felt Kusulas was politicizing the committee.

How Kusulas might be doing so was not explained, but it is abundantly clear that O’Reilly is not above injecting politics into borough business.

Kusulas has been a vocal opponent of the borough’s recent budget, criticizing the council for what he sees as an excessive tax increase.

Kusulas’ opinions on the budget have nothing to do with his work on the planning committee, but seeking to remove him so soon after his criticism, which included speaking his mind at a public hearing on the budget and writing letters to the editor on the issue, certainly has the appearance of retribution for speaking out.

In leaving the committee to finish its work, and leaving it as composed, the council made the right choice, but residents have to question the motives of the council for seeking to disband the panel in the first place, considering O’Reilly’s position.

If serving the borough in one capacity means having to be silent about every other issue in town, Fair Haven may soon find itself woefully short of volunteers.