With recent news articles regarding various mis-management issues by the Town of Rye Administration – I felt it prudent to inform our communities (Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye Neck) of the on-going harassment many Town employees, both past and present have experienced over the past few years across various departments.
During the past several months, as an employee of the Town, I have been subjected to an unfounded HR Investigation, personal accusations intended to damage my integrity and credibility as a manager. This pervasive professional abuse was led by the Town Administrator/Debbie Reisner, the Town Attorney/Jeff Binder, the Director of Grounds & Facilities/Vic Federico, all under the leadership of Town Supervisor/Gary Zuckerman.
Since Debbie Reisner heads up all things HR related and Jeff Binder all things legal, I had no internal support to turn to, so the abusive treatment continued for months.
As a result, last week I was forced to resign my position of almost 4 years as Community Liaison of the Town and Assistant Park Manager at Crawford Park. The primary role of these positions was the sales and management of all events at Crawford – which has successfully generated a considerable revenue stream for the Town.
But this is NOT just about me. Many Town employees are being bullied, treated with disrespect, and frequently scolded in front of their co-workers. They have been silenced on occasion (most recently some were told not to discuss anything about my resignation as it could impact the upcoming election results).
Some staffers personally shared with me they tolerate this harassment for fear of losing their job. Other staffers who fought back have been fired for what the town considered non-compliance or lack of qualifications. Then, there are those of us who fought back and reluctantly resigned for reasons rooted in our respective experiences.
Many of the 100+ people employed by the Town are our friends, neighbors, and family members. They are dedicated hard-working people who should be respected and appreciated. Condescending comments and personal humiliation should not be a part of anyone’s workday.
It is my opinion that our community should be aware of what is happening inside the Town offices. The management style of the current administration is unacceptable and must be stopped.
With election day around the corner and Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman running for re-election – I urge you to consider your options.
Please think before you vote….
Do you want this treatment of our friends, neighbors, and family members to continue for another 4 years? I certainly don’t! ………. What do you think?
Camile Meola, Rye Brook
Editor’s Note: Last week, we published a story on Rye Town Attorney Jeff Binder and his income earned for legal work for the town. The link to that story is https://yonkerstimes.com/rye-town-attorney-collects-260k-per-year-in-salary-billing-fees-where-is-the-oversight/. We have verified the author of this letter
