Freshman Erie County Legislator Raymond Walter (R-Amherst) has only been on the job for about 2 months. But he's rankled members of the Legislature's Democratic Majority by calling them out for a letter produced at taxpayer expense, the wording of which he says violates the legislature's own rules regarding mailing.
Standing before boxes containing approximately 8,000 letters and envelopes addressed to election inspectors throughout Erie County, Walter called the authors of those letters on the carpet for what he termed, "waste, fraud and abuse".
The form letters, signed by legislature Democrats, thank the election inspectors for their service and were due to be sent out at taxpayer expense in the coming days, according to the Erie County Office of Information and Support Services.
Walter asked the Collins' administration to defer sending them until he could get an opinion on whether the content of the letter violates the legislature's own rules regarding mailing -- which Walter clearly believes they do.
What bothers Walter is the letter extends thanks on behalf of the legislature's Democratic majority, in what he claims is a violation of the legislature's Rules of Order.
He specifically cites section 5.07, titled "Erie County Legislature Mail Policy", and which states "References to political parties and/or party affiliations are prohibited on all legislative mailings".
"This is clearly, plainly, in contravention," said Walter
The letter goes on to remind recipients that the 11 Democratic lawmakers who signed it, also voted in favor of raising the pay of election inspectors during county budget deliberations in December.
This makes the letters, according to Walter, "political propaganda, produced at taxpayer expense."
"You hear about this stuff going on, but to see it actually happen, it's kind of shocking," Walter said.
Walter took his concerns to County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz whose spokesman Tim Callan acknowledged receipt of the complaint and confirmed Poloncarz has begun an inquiry.
Callan went further in stating : "On its face it appears this letter clearly would have been in violation of the rules of the legislature---had it been actually sent.
Reminded by 2 On Your Side that the letters had not been sent Walter responded by saying, "It still was printed on the taxpayers paper, with the taxpayer envelopes, by county employees. That shouldn't happen."
Legislature Chair Lynn Marinelli (D-Tonawanda) told 2 On Your Side she was already in the process of stopping the letter from being mailed so it could be re-worded, while Legislator Robert Reynolds (D-Hamburg) said the issue was being over blown.
"Our intent was not to violate any rules but rather to inform election inspectors of their pay increase and of their value to the community," Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, the county's Office of Information and Support Services, tells 2 On Your Side tax payers will be out $700 dollars for producing what is essentially now a pile of recyclable material, plus $3,900 more if Democrats have the letters re-produced and mailed in accordance with the rules of the legislature.
