September 23, 2005

The two recent rulings by the Fair Election Practices Committee (FEPC) vindicate our Committee's position that the record amassed by the current administration is a valid issue for discussion in our campaign.

Mr. Esposito brought two complaints based on the 'Get The Facts' flyer which our committee distributed in early August. [Note that this flyer has gone through several revisions and the flyer challenged is not the one we have used since mid-August.]
We have met with two CPAs: one a Democrat and one a Republican. They both agree that the town of Gates' 'negative net assets' situation is not good and that the 'weak internal controls' cited by Moody's as one of the reasons for the downgrading of the town's financial status to 'Baa1 with a negative outlook' also indicates that all is not well in the town's fiscal operations.

On the first, the FEPC ruled that although Mr. Esposito publicly spoke of the amount of the 2006 tax increase, it was a "technical" violation for us to say that taxes were "already" up by 33%, 2003-2006, when the actual amount of the increase would be concealed from the voters until it became official the day after Election Day. It was during this hearing that Mr. Esposito announced that the 2006 tax increase would be 10-15%. That on top of the 26.4% increase from 2003-2005, would bring the tax increase for 4 years to a whopping 39-45%.
I applaud the Teamsters Union for their victory in reversing the wrongful hiring of an upper level employee at the Gates Highway Department without the required job posting and I am sorry that the present supervisor's actions again cost the town money the town sorely needs in other places.

In the second complaint, the FEPC ruled that saying "The Town illegally over expended their 2004 budget…." was not a violation and this information was "suitable to be included in the public debate". So clearly our use of the word illegal is valid in our description of the Town Board's over expenditure of their 2004 budget.

We will not let Mr. Esposito's filing of these unwarranted complaints intimidate us into halting our campaign activities nor disclosing the facts about the Town's administrative record. Clearly, he is embarrassed by that record, and he will go to any length to hide it.

We apologize to the voters of Gates for our "technically" incorrect verb tense in presenting what Mr. Esposito led us to believe in April 2005 would be the tax rate increase for 2006. We will not engage Mr. Esposito in a campaign of mud slinging. Our committee will only discuss the issues and our vision for the Town of Gates. We urge Gates voters to exercise their right to vote on November 8th by electing the candidates for Town office whose vision best reflects what they as the voters would like to see happen in Gates.



See article in Democrat & Chronicle.