Hartland’s new administration says it inherited a broken transition, missing files, and last-minute actions before the transfer of power.
HARTLAND, NY - When Hartland’s new administration took office, officials say they did not inherit an orderly town government operation. Instead, they describe a transition marked by empty file drawers, a missing town computer, and little
practical help from the outgoing administration.According to the incoming supervisor’s account, Ross Annable met with the new supervisor only once before the change in administration. At that meeting, the supervisor was reportedly handed a single sheet of paper, written on both sides, describing responsibilities of the office.
That reportedly was the extent of the transition briefing.
When the new administration entered the town offices, the file drawers were reportedly empty. The town computer was also reportedly gone, having been sent out to be wiped and reused by the highway department.
That matters because a change in local government is not supposed to be a guessing game. Town records, grant files, pending projects, legal matters, contracts, equipment records, correspondence, and financial information should be organized and available to the officials taking office.
According to the new administration, the lack of organized files and computer access made it harder to understand ongoing town business and delayed the ability to manage projects already in motion.
Additional concerns have been raised about actions allegedly taken shortly before the former administration left office. Many issues reportedly passed about 10 days before Annable left office. Another involved what the new administration described as an attempt to provide an additional financial benefit connected to Annable’s wife.
The transition story also connects to the claim that former board members did not always fully read resolutions before voting. Wake Up NY says they have video of Hartland board members under Ross acknowledging they relied heavily on then-Supervisor Ross Annable’s direction. If true, residents deserve to know whether last-minute resolutions, easements, employment actions, or financial decisions were independently reviewed before approval.
Real Niagara Times / Wake Up NY would love if Ross Annable would contact us seeking comment about the transitions, the empty file drawers, the town computer reportedly being wiped, the easement passed before he left office, and the allegations involving last-minute actions. As of publication, Annable has not returned calls or provided a response.
There are several public questions Hartland officials should answer with records: what computer was wiped, who authorized it, when it was sent out, what data was preserved, what records were transferred to the new administration, and whether any files were missing when the new board took office.
Residents should also be shown the many resolutions that allegedly passed shortly before the transfer of power, including the date, the board vote, the legal description, and the public purpose.
This is not merely a personality dispute between old and new administrations. It is a question of continuity, public records, government accountability, and whether Hartland taxpayers received a clean and responsible transfer of power.
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Source notes / records to attach or verify: • Transition meeting notes, if any, between Ross Annable and the incoming supervisor. • Town computer inventory and any work order or invoice showing wiping, repair, or reassignment. • Public records retention policy and backup records.. • Video statements from former board members about their review of resolutions. |
