Village of Williamsville Deputy Mayor Matthew Etu resigned on Monday, alleging Mayor Deb Rogers is "openly hostile" and "toxic" toward him and other board members, among other allegations.
"I will state plainly that Mayor Deborah Rogers is the reason I am resigning my position. In the last 12 to 18 months, but increasingly so over the last six weeks, the Village Board’s focus has veered so far from the one I joined that I can no longer in good conscience say I identify with what it stands for," Etu said in a two-page letter addressed to Rogers and the other trustees of the board.
Etu's term was set to end June 2023. He shared some of his accomplishments during his time on the board in his letter: contributing to the Parks' Master Plan, Island Park's playground, restructuring the planning board, comprehensive code amendments, authoring local laws and the work he did as a volunteer and with the volunteers on the committees he led.
His biography on the village's webpage was immediately taken down the day of his resignation.
Etu made a variety of claims in his letter, including that he became a target of Rogers' "ire and hostility" after differing in opinion with her on mask mandates toward the end of November.
Around that time, Rogers had gone on a local radio show, sharing her personal opinions on the mask mandates, which led to community confusion over the board and the village's stance on the county's mask mandate. Etu then spoke publicly, emphasizing that Rogers' personal opinion does not reflect village policy.
"I have no objection to the mayor exercising her right to free speech. I have no objection to the mayor expressing her opinions on a topic. I just want everyone to understand that her voice is her voice and not necessarily indicative of policy of five voices. But more importantly, I want to make it radiantly clear that on this particular topic, on this particular issue, there is nothing that the village board can do legislatively within our powers to alter in any way the mandates that come to us from the county Health Department, regardless of who falls where on what political spectrum," Etu had said in an interview with WBFO following Rogers' statements.
Etu also discussed in his resignation letter the board's Dec. 13 meeting, where he says he "watched stunned as the mayor appeared to revel in the chaos and vitriol spewed at her fellow board members." He added that Rogers "appeared to encourage, stir and cheerlead the unruly, unmasked crowd."
"The tenor of the room was hostile and provoked by the mayor. She read aloud passages from a text string between the five board members that she knew would incite the assembly further. This was a violation of trust; it was then I knew I had seen the real Deborah Rogers. She has claimed to respect me despite our differences and considers us friends. Yet she chose to mock me when I dared to hold the line on enforcing the mask mandate during an upcoming meeting," Etu wrote.
Rogers released a statement late Monday but did not address any of the allegations made by Etu, other than talking about conflict.
“It is unfortunate that differences of opinions have left Mr. Etu feeling like he had no other alternative but to resign,” Rogers said. “Conflicts are a part of everyday life in government and dealing with them adequately is a necessary skill.”
She added that she feels he was an asset to the village, that she deeply values his work and is disheartened by his decision.
“While we certainly have strong differences of opinion on some subjects, Mr. Etu was an asset to the Village Board,” she said. “His expertise and contributions to the community will be missed by myself and my fellow board members.”
According to Rogers, the vacancy left by Etu will be filled by a mayoral appointment until June, when the next election will be held. In that election, Trustee David Sherman's seat will also be up for election, and the individuals who fill those two seats will serve one-year board terms. Rogers says she is currently considering candidates for Etu's vacancy.
You can read the full letter from Etu and the statement from Rogers below:
Re: Resignation effective immediately – Deputy Mayor Matthew Etu Mayor Rogers, fellow trustees: Today will be my last day as the Deputy Mayor and Trustee of the Village of Williamsville. After four years serving on the Board, its environment now is the most toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it. In speaking to past Board members, I find I am not alone in that observation. Simply, the interests and business of the Village are being sidelined by the mayor’s personal agenda and political rhetoric. I will state plainly that Mayor Deborah Rogers is the reason I am resigning my position. In the last 12 to 18 months, but increasingly so over the last six weeks, the Village Board’s focus has veered so far from the one I joined that I can no longer in good conscience say I identify with what it stands for. At the end of November, the mayor called me “unhinged” because she and I differed on the topic of mask mandates. Meanwhile, she lost focus on the issues that are most pressing to the village and sought to create an echo chamber where she sees herself as a constitutional patriot, framing the majority of board members as traitors. Mayor Rogers tilts at windmills the Village Board has no power to overturn and which most of the constituency has no interest in even fighting. I find myself positioned as the mayor’s strongest opposition and as a result have become a target for her ire and hostility. Mayor Rogers took an oath of office to uphold the laws of New York State and has the responsibility as chair of the chamber to run an orderly meeting. The events of December 13th were anything but and I watched stunned as the mayor appeared to revel in the chaos and vitriol spewed at her fellow board members. There is no doubt she failed in her role as chair of the chamber. Mayor Rogers appeared to encourage, stir, and cheerlead the unruly, unmasked crowd. After 135 minutes of verbal abuse, the mayor attempted to compel the Board into an empty gesture that supported her agenda. I was taken aback and shell-shocked. The tenor of the room was hostile and provoked by the mayor. She read aloud passages from a text string between the five board members that she knew would incite the assembly further. This was a violation of trust; it was then I knew I had seen the real Deborah Rogers. She has claimed to respect me despite our differences and considers us friends. Yet, she chose to mock me when I dared to hold the line on enforcing the mask mandate during an upcoming meeting. I took that same oath of office to uphold the laws of NYS and I took it seriously. That is not a friendship. That is not a respectful, professional relationship. It is toxic and has poisoned the business of the Village Board. The mayor’s focus is misplaced, and the business of her administration has become self-aggrandizing. The mayor is openly hostile and suspicious towards other Board members; she measures her victories by “the other side’s” defeats. There is no “other side.” We are one Board serving the Village of Williamsville. The only people who suffer are the 5300 residents of this municipality many of whom are unaware of the mayor’s arrogance, deceit, and lack of administrative direction. My hope was the issue would fade away and we could return to the business of the Village. I now understand this will not be the case. I cannot continue to serve in that environment. This is not the Village Board I have known. I am disappointed at the mayor’s failure to maintain an inclusive environment, instead the Village board devolved into a two-tier government. The Harmony Party has eroded to the point it feels anything but harmonious. I just passed my fourth anniversary as a member of this board. I have more time, knowledge, expertise, and investment in the Village government than the other three board members combined. The mayor claims to be an advocate for a person’s freedom to choose, yet choices have consequences. This is the mayor’s: she has single-handedly robbed the Village Board and the residents of this Village of my involvement in her administration. I joined this Board because I sought to serve the Village in which I live. It started by volunteering to build a playground. It grew from there. I have invested time and energy into the community while sacrificing time at home with my family. I am proud of my contributions to the Parks’ Master Plan, the building of Island Park’s playground, the restructuring of the planning board, spearheading one of the most comprehensive code amendments the Village has had in the past decade, and the authoring of many local laws. I am even prouder of the contributions of the dedicated volunteers on my committees. I will miss my time with you the most. I have learned a great deal over the past 4 years, and I have met wonderful neighbors along the way. To those upset over my resignation, I assure you that I am still around. I have come to realize that sometimes to win, it is better not to play the game. I look forward to a time when I can again serve the village as a volunteer once Mayor Rogers' term in office is complete. I hope this can be a wake-up call to the Village and the Board. Make the Village the focal point of your business again. Respectfully, Matthew Etu |
Williamsville mayor responds to deputy mayor’s sudden resignation from Village Board: WILLIAMSVILLE, NY (Jan. 3, 2022) – Village of Williamsville Mayor Deb Rogers said she is disheartened by the decision of former Deputy Mayor Matthew Etu to suddenly resign from the Village Board on Jan. 2. “While we certainly have strong differences of opinion on some subjects, Mr. Etu was an asset to the Village Board,” she said. “His expertise and contributions to the community will be missed by myself and my fellow board members.” Rogers said it wasn’t until the morning of Jan. 3 that she learned of Etu’s decision. She said he had not previously mentioned wanting to leave his board post. “It is unfortunate that differences of opinions have left Mr. Etu feeling like he had no other alternative but to resign,” Rogers said. “Conflicts are a part of everyday life in government and dealing with them adequately is a necessary skill.” Although she was disappointed in the resignation, Rogers offers the utmost praise to Etu’s commitment to the community. The mayor said a portion of Etu’s many accomplishments include leading the board in updating the sections of the village code as well as coordinating a series large-scale parks updates with the Parks Committee. She added that Etu’s knowledge of architecture and engineering was an asset to the Village Board. “I deeply value Mr. Etu’s past work as a community volunteer and trustee and remain thankful that he served as deputy mayor for the past six months,” she said. Rogers added that the Village Board continues to be focused on serving the community and the needs of its more than 5,400 residents and vibrant Main Street business district. The mayor is currently considering candidates who might be interested in filling Etu’s vacancy. Board vacancies are filled through the authority of a mayoral appointment. A newly-appointed trustee would fill the vacancy through June. An election to fill the remaining year of the seat’s term will be held Tuesday, June 21. Etu’s former seat is one of two board posts that will be on June’s ballot. The seat currently held by Trustee David Sherman will also be part of the election. As a result, the two candidates with the top votes will earn election to one-year board terms. Sherman will serve his appointment as trustee through June. |
