To the Editor:

Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger and his majority on the Middletown Committee are doing a disservice to young residents in our region.

The policy of paying poorer communities to take the maximum amount of Middletown’s affordable housing obligation through RCAs is a message in itself.

Middletown has a lot of young men and women that work in the service industry. These people are an important part of the economy. Without these young workers, we would not have anyone to serve us when we go to a restaurant or a store. Many people that fall in this income bracket also serve in the military, police, fire, first aid and in our hospitals.

Mayor Scharfenberger and his majority are telling these young people that they are good enough to serve them but not to live in their town, even though a lot of these young people were raised in the town.

Being a young adult that lived in Middletown for most of my life, I find this policy bias and a bad reflection of character for Mayor Scharfenberger and his majority. In my opinion and that of many others, this policy must come to an end. Mayor Scharfenberger and his majority must change these past practices and live up to their constitutional responsibilities.

I would also like to say that I support Mr. Morehead in his fight for an ordinance for regional preference that would give a larger portion of this housing to residents that live in the region, and his fight to bring more affordable housing to Middletown.

With the issue of Middletown’s third round obligation of affordable housing growing as fast as it is, Mayor Scharfenberger should stop trying to blame others for the problems that face Middletown and show a little leadership in taking on these problems.

Michael Shamlian
Highlands