An offensive, insulting and harassing anonymous letter sent to an Oxford Village Councilman is being looked into by both the local police and U.S. Post Office.
‘I haven’t wavered. It’s not intimidating me,? said Councilman Tony Albensi, who received the letter in the mail Aug. 20.
Albensi said the village police have been made aware of the letter and he’s looking into having the postal inspector launch an investigation.
‘The powers that be have been informed of this,? he said, noting ‘harassment? via the postal system is taken ‘very seriously.?
The unsigned letter chastised Albensi for voting to eliminate the village treasurer’s position, occupied by longtime village employee Maureen Helmuth, at the council’s Aug. 12 meeting (see related story on page 4).
‘I think it’s difficult to get people to sit on this side of the fence when there’s people out there that send letters like that,? Albensi said. ‘It’s cowardly. It’s sleazy. And it’s uncalled for.?
‘It is very unfortunate that letters like this would be sent to one’s home address,? said village President Chris Bishop, who was also criticized in the letter, along with Councilman Mike Hamilton, for voting to eliminate the treasurer’s job.
Neither Bishop nor Hamilton received the letter.
Council stood firmly behind Albensi and chastised the anonymous writer.
‘If a person’s going to write a letter like that, they could have the decency to deliver it by hand and give it to the man face-to-face,? said Councilman Tom Benner.
‘I do believe that most people that are involved in local government have high integrity,? Bishop said. ‘And I don’t believe the individual who sent this letter had any.?
Hamilton said it was ‘very shallow? and ‘disgusting? of the letter writer to single out Albensi.
Albensi stated for the record that his vote to eliminate the village treasurer’s position was not made for person reasons.
‘It was strictly a budgetary decision that I made,? he said.
‘The person that wrote that letter should have sat on this side of the desk for a while ? see what it’s like firsthand,? Benner said. ‘It’s not an easy position to be up here and when difficult decisions have to be made, then we’re the culprits. Very seldom does anybody praise you for the job you’ve done or the time you’ve donated.?
Village Clerk Dan Luick, who will be taking over some of the treasurer’s duties when Helmuth leaves Sept. 19, said he has received ‘personal threats of violence? indicating ‘things are going to be done to me? and ‘there’s going to be attacks when I least suspect it.?
Some of the threats were made to his home telephone number.
He was made aware of other threats secondhand through other parties.
Luick said he hopes this is not what Oxford’s about ‘because I’m here to do the best job that I know how.?
He and his deputy clerk are going to pick up the additional work-load from the treasurer’s job ‘to help with the financial situation.?
‘We’re not doing it to be popular,? Luick said. ‘We’re not doing it because we just want to work more. We’re doing it to help out the community.?