Last night, the Cheektowaga Town Board refused to make public a report detailing a months-long corruption investigation inside the Town’s Highway Department. The Board did vote to send the report to the New York Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.
Highway Superintendent Mark Wagner, a well connected player in the local Democratic Party apparatus, is implicated in the report and is expected to be the subject of a forthcoming criminal investigation.
On a WGRZ Channel 2 report by Dave McKinley, Wegner admits to many of the report’s allegations, which could have serious legal implications. Wagner has hired a defense attorney.
The other faction of the party is controlled by Frank Max, the Chairman of the Progressive Democrats of Western New York and a longtime fixture in local politics. He has been a supporter of Town Supervisor Mary Holtz.
Cheektowaga, a populous and heavily Democrat-enrolled town, will be a pivotal battleground that operatives expect to determine this year’s County Executive’s race.
Many Democrats are expecting the Progressive faction to field a primary candidate. Assemblyman Michael Kearns has not made a decision whether to run. Other names have been floated in political circles, including Camille Brandon, a deputy County Clerk; Joe Golombek, the Buffalo Councilman; and Barbara Miller-Williams, the County Legislator.
In a general election, Cheektowaga will be equally pivotal. In a county that is 2-to-1 Democrat, any Republican seeking a countywide office needs to make big inroads in the traditionally Democrat bastions of Cheektowaga, Tonawanda, and Amherst.
County Clerk Chris Jacobs is said to be considering a run for County Executive. Jacobs is a popular and respected figure in the local business and political communities.
I’m downright shocked that this site would remove my post! What was the reason? I thought that you were above that kind of tactic. Says a lot.
So, ya deleted my comment to this story, but I’m glad ya read it before deleting. You do have a nice site here, and I’m glad you are up and running again after a break. But, ya have to be credible, and my very tame comment on this story from last night pointed out that with regard to this story. It’s one thing to be “anti-establishment” and that’s cool, but ya should try to be believable, and this story has some not-remotely-believable assertions. You could do much better than that, or if you keep it up (and that’s your right), don’t be surprised that comments point that out, and it’s your right to delete same, but that strikes at your credibility, too.
If Cheektowaga is so strongly 2-to-1 Democrat like this article says, why did Angela Wozniak win in a LANDSLIDE last fall?! And after beating the good old boys and girls for council a few years ago! Maybe because she was a young, smart, energetic, honest, and well spoken woman. Maybe because she has had to work hard in her life for something when the usual jokers in Cheektowaga politics inherit their jobs like we are a third world country. A lady in my bingo circle said that all of our elected officials in Cheektowaga have parents who used to be high ups in the Town, but not Angela. Maybe because Angela is nothing like Wagner, Holtz, Benzkowski or any one of these fossils who live off their parents until they themselves are grandparents! ITS PEOPLE LIKE THESE WHY ME AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN CHEEKTOWAGA WHO USED TO VOTE DEMOCRAT NOW VOTE REPUBLICAN – GOOD JOB LOSING 100 MORE VOTES FROM WORKING PEOPLE YOU THIEVES!!!
To the comment above, and the dumbass who wrote this story, it’s Wegner. Not Wagner. Don’t comment your ignorant bullshit on here when you’re clearly just another stupid, naive person who thinks they know all. Go find something better to do with your time.