Croton Village drops ridiculous charges against Viet vet Lenny Amicola

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson has withdrawn the violation and appearance ticket issued for the display of a banner, in violation of the Village's Zoning Code.

 

This violation was part of routine, Village-wide code enforcement that identified 17 non-compliant locations. Our code enforcement team worked with each property owner to seek voluntary compliance, successfully resolving most violations without further action.

 

Village staff have been falsely accused of engaging in a politically motivated enforcement action. The facts above make it clear that this is categorically false.

 

What began as routine code enforcement was transformed into a national spectacle through social media and traditional media coverage before any hearing could take place. This has resulted in abusive messages and threats of violence directed at Village personnel who were simply performing their professional duties. These threats are under law enforcement investigation.

 

Further, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent correspondence to the Village regarding this matter. While the DOJ letter drew no conclusions about the claims being made about the Village, the letter stated the Department has the authority to initiate civil action against local governments. The DOJ encouraged “the Village to review its ordinance and enforcement practices promptly to ensure compliance with constitutional requirements.” 

 

Our village government is not in a position to contend with continuous anonymous abuse of staff, threats to personnel and a federal intervention regarding a minor civil citation for a non-safety related provision of the Village Code. 

 

Given these circumstances, the Village must prioritize the safety of its personnel and the conservation of taxpayer resources. After speaking with the Village Prosecutor, the current case has been withdrawn and no further enforcement actions will be taken. 

 

The Village Manager will be recommending to the Village Board that the section of the Village Code at issue be reviewed to ensure it is written and it remains fair and easily understood and directing our code enforcement team to suspend enforcement of the section of the Village Code at issue until the Code is amended. This is the best option to ensure the safety of village staff, the orderly administration of municipal government and uphold the spirit of fair and consistent enforcement.