Councilwoman Marge Bell.
By Nancy Peckenham
The Newburgh city council is backing off its criticism of fellow council member Marge Bell for her withdrawal from budget talks. It had issued a formal rebuke after Bell said she would not take part in budget discussions because the city had not taken serious steps to rescue the city and its residents from financial distress.
On Monday, Mayor Nicholas Valentine said that although the council disagreed with her actions, it didn’t want to incur any more legal fees. Last week, Bell announced that she was suing the city for excluding her comments in open meetings. As part of the formal rebuke issued earlier this month, the council had limited Bell’s comments to three minutes.
After hearing the Mayor say he wanted to avoid legal costs, Councilwoman Bell said she didn’t think much of how the council’s change of mind, saying it was done without a clear process. She also said she may return to budget talks, which must be finalized by late November.
Loading...
