In response to the letter criticizing Mayor Martins for expressing dissatisfaction with Trustee Paul Cusato (Hubris with a Capital H, Mineola American, April 15), it was Trustee Cusato who agreed with the other trustees in including raises in the budget. The entire board, including Mayor Martins and the public, thought that the budget would pass unanimously. Two weeks later, Trustee Cusato, suddenly at the public budget hearing, disagreed with the board on the salary increases and cast a vote against the budget. I can understand the mayor's reaction because the Hometown Party (Cusato's party) in the past would be silent on certain issues during deliberations and suddenly spring their differing opinions only during the open village meetings.

The salaries increases are still below salaries of mayors and trustees of most other villages of comparable size. Considering what Mayor Martins and his majority on the board has accomplished in the last six years, Mineola taxpayers have benefited immensely financially and otherwise.

The reference to a 500 vote total statement that applied to all the New Line Party candidates in the past election does not take into consideration that all the candidates ran unopposed. Only a handful of write-in votes were cast for any other candidates. That is the best possible testimony to Mayor Martins and his New Line Party's performance and acceptance. Voters usually do not turn out for unopposed elections.

Russell Sutherland