After reading Ralph Suozzi's inaugural speech I am in agreement with him on a few issues. Firstly, there will always be people who come to city council meetings with agendas that are nothing more than self-serving. However, one should also understand that there are people who attend these meetings who are genuinely concerned about Glen Cove's future. There is nothing wrong with people who watch the administrations actions and speak out when they feel something is wrong. No one in government is beyond reproach. Checks and balances are a healthy component of any government. This is especially true for those whose residents have seen their taxes and deficit rise at an alarming rate.

Secondly, I agree that no single act or decision made in a single year can correct all the problems of the past. The real question we should be asking is at what point in time we draw a line in the sand. When do the actions of an elected official become his responsibility? When does accountability begin? Is two years enough? Are three years too many? When should we expect positive results from a budget created by the current administration? Do we give a free pass to the 2007 budget, which had a 27 percent property tax increase and a projected deficit in the millions of dollars (according to the state comptrollers's report of October 2007)? Should we wait till the 2008 fiscal year is complete before we are allowed to comment?

As an elected official, there will always be people ready to point fingers at you and tell you what you are doing wrong. I will point no fingers at anyone just for the sake of politics. I am willing to give anyone a fair chance. The fact is we need to draw a line in the sand which clearly defines which administration is responsible for our financial problems. We need to establish a true reference point of accountability for our city government. With that established we can truly and fairly evaluate performance without graying the playing field by trying to determine which administration should be held responsible when problems arise.

Here is how I will draw my line in the sand.

I will not hold the mayor accountable for the deficits accumulated through 2006.

For 2007 he should be accountable for payroll and overtime that exceeds budget.

All other over-budget or under-revenue items for 2007 I will consider as part of the problems inherited from prior administrations. This I do only for the sake of creating a level playing field. My guess is that the prior and current administrations are both to blame for the shortcomings.

As 2008 begins and the debt of the sewer fund and its accompanying debt service are no longer with us, now is a good time to draw your line in the sand and evaluate our mayor's performance. The time for accountability is now.

Reggie Spinello