As reported in the Sun Journal Nov. 30, Greene Town Manager Steve Eldridge has submitted his resignation, effective Dec. 31.

While I agree with Selectman Tim Doyle’s evaluation of Steve’s worth to the town, I disagree with the implication that it is because our salary offer was not competitive enough to keep this person on board. As a small community, we have limited resources on which to draw. I believe it is a widely held belief that this job was just a line on Steve’s resume and that he rightly aspired to managing a larger town that would be able to compensate him in a way he could feel appreciated.

At a time when we cannot absorb any further tax increases, Selectman Doyle suggests, indirectly, that we have to fund this position more handsomely. I disagree. I see this as a grand opportunity for our town to redefine the salary of this position to more accurately reflect the values of our working community, the members of which make substantially less, on average, than the position pays.

This position is currently funded at about $65,000 per year. That is too much for our community to absorb. I believe we need to hire at a more entry-level wage.

It is said that the measure of a man lies not in what he can extract from his fellow man but, rather, what he can do to enrich his fellow man. I can only hope that those in charge will not blunder.

Ron Gauthier, Greene

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