Following my post on the cancellation of the Easter egg decoration workshop, the mayor sent me a personal email. It is translated here into English:
Hello Mr Kolton, allow me to address you by personal letter.
In your early days, when you came to our municipality, the municipal office and its staff and, of course, myself were there for you.
You often came to us with various requests, we mediated the purchase of your wooden house, which I regret to say is about to fall into disrepair, which is very sad, because it is the legacy of your ancestors, and especially when you have already been issued a building permit, but you have not yet started the reconstruction... the municipal office has provided you with premises for the storage of your furniture for a few years, and this free of charge.
I did not and do not have the feeling that we have not been helpful and have not officially accommodated you, but not only you, but all the citizens of our municipality and its visitors who come with many and various requests. I would like to emphasize that municipal office workers are not servants, and therefore I expect, above all, your understanding towards the employees of the office, who carry out their work professionally and sometimes even beyond the scope of their duties, with an emphasis on compliance with the laws of the Slovak Republic. I ask you to take note and understand that besides you there are XY citizens living in the municipality who also use the services of the employees. We register every request, whether it is written, emailed or even verbal, but we have 30 to 60 days to process it, depending on its complexity.
As far as the provision of premises is concerned, we have to check the situation to see if there is a reservation for that date and, once we have investigated, we will give an answer.
There may be some misunderstandings between us because of the language barrier, but we are still trying to find a way out of the situation. I wish you to continue to feel comfortable in our village and I hope that we will respect each other.
Yours sincerely
Kristína Gregoričková Mayor of the village
I responded thusly:
Dear Kristina
Your email contains several disparate topics which do not appear germane to the original subject matter. So, permit me to address these items later in this email.
Overall, it seems that you are gently trying to state that I am impatient and too demanding. Providing multiple examples of how you have helped me over the years, the conclusion I gather is that you wish me to be subservient, quiet and patient, traits that do not exist in my DNA.
I have too often been frustrated with the municipal office by its closure during what should be opening hours. The office hours posted below reflect more fantasy than reality. The telephone rings and rings with no one to answer. If you have an open mind, you will understand the level of frustration this generates. But I am not alone; I have had several discussions with people who have shared the same experience. To further my point, I will post a survey on Facebook to query people whether they have been satisfied with the responsiveness of your office. Although highly informal and unscientific, it may provide a glance of most people’s impression of the municipal staff.
Both you and Mrs. Brejčaková claim that the office is overwhelmed with demands from the constituency. But taking into consideration the number of residents and those with cottages, I find this claim laughable. As one possible solution to this problem, perhaps you could travel outside the village alone, rather than your assistant accompanying you. That way, at least one person would answer the telephone. Another suggestion is to give your staff authority to make decisions, rather than to defer to you for the smallest requests. For example, I asked Mrs. Brejčaková, the bookkeeper, to provide me with a written statement of taxes so that I may pay my bill. She declined, however, stating that she could not do so because she is not mayor. This comment left me scratching my head in wonder.
On May 31, 2019, I wrote you a letter regarding the situation of vehicles speeding throughout the village. I received no response. Then, on May 31, 2020, I again sent a similar letter to you, copying the previous letter I had sent. This time, however, I also sent copies to the councilmembers as well. You responded that you would investigate it. Then, nothing. During the years 2021 and 2022, Covid solved much of the problem, so I did not pursue the issue. The issue, however, is back on the table. I will again write to you about it, probably again on May 31. I do not expect a response. So, you may believe that you are responsive to your constituent’s concerns, but the situation I highlight here describes otherwise.
I am loathe to accept the “60-day rule” that you cite according to the legislation. This law is from the Communist era and should have been repealed long ago. Your office should be proud to expedite any and all requests, rather than to hide behind an old rule than only benefits the bureaucrats.
The former library on the ground floor was locked and abandoned long before I came to the village. Do you think I am a fool to believe that you need to check whether it is available? Again, you are only hiding behind this Communist era legislation. You are not being responsive. Should I let you know 60 days in advance of my death so that we may reserve the large hall for my funereal repast?
I do not believe the language barrier is a source of confusion. I would moreover believe that there are cultural differences between us. As an American, I was raised with the ethos of “moving forward and getting things done. I do not believe we share that ethos.
Just to touch briefly on some of the points you raised earlier:
- In your early days, when you came to our village, the municipal office and its staff and of course I were there for you
Yes, it is true. What has happened since then?
- We arranged the purchase of your wooden house
This is incorrect. I have already agreed with the seller. On the day of the sale, you helped to arrange the necessary legal documents.
- Your wooden house, which I regret to say is about to ... and especially if you have already issued a building permit but have not yet started the renovation
I assume your office receives copies of all the permits I have received. If so, then you would already know that the office in Kežmarok (another office that lacks my work ethos) did not provide a final permit until last October. It was too late to start work. I had to return the funding I had received. I have applied for funding again and hope to start dismantling the building in May.
- The local authority has provided you with space to store your furniture for a number of years, free of charge.
As far as I remember, you also stored personal furniture in the building free of charge. In any case, I do not expect favors, but I do expect to be treated like others.
- I wish you to continue to feel comfortable in our municipality
This is quite amusing to read, as Osturna has been my home for twelve years. I am part of the village and I hope you will finally recognize that. While I am not trying to make this a competition, I would like to point out that my ancestral roots in the village are considerably deeper than yours.
One final point: Yes, it is true that I do not believe you are performing well as caretaker. Your responsiveness to requests is slow or absent, you do not provide your staff with the authority to act independently. Communication between the constituents and the municipal office is extremely poor.
I criticize the office only to point out the flaws in its operation. If I thought you receptive to ideas and help, I have lots of ideas that could help you improve the operation. Yet, I never felt you were wiling to hear outside ideas.
With all that said, I want to make sure you understand the difference between criticism and respect. While I criticize your performance as mayor, I have never stopped respecting you as a person or as the elected representative of our village. To disrespect anyone would be sin beyond excuse.
Sincerely,
Thom Kolton
Stalemate?