Cheektowaga Town Clerk Alice Magierski has a plan to address vacant homes, if she is elected Town Supervisor. Magierski is a longtime figure in town politics — friendly and familiar to Cheektowaga voters, who tend to be older and more socially conservative. In a campaign video released on Facebook, Magierski pledges to strictly enforce building codes to pursue the owners of blighted properties.
The Clerk has the backing of a powerful contingent of the Democrat party. Retiring Supervisor Mary Holtz publicly endorsed Magierski before she even announced her candidacy. Magierski also has the backing of Frank Max, the influential former party chairman and decades long activist whose involvement in town politics has helped turn the county backwater into Western New York’s central hub for transportation, shopping, and industry.
Magierski faces the first term Councilwoman Diane Benczkowski in the party primary contest. Benczkowski has emphasized her outsider pro-business perspective, while Magierski emphasized her years of experience as Town Clerk, Tax Receiver, and with the school board.
Benczkowski has the Democrat and Conservative Party endorsements and is well networked in the business community. She is popular in the local real estate industry and is known for rocking the proverbial boat at town hall. The Councilwoman is a close ally of County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Erie County Democrat Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner.
Cheektowaga has been a political battlefield for two long entrenched factions of the party: the headquarters faction, controlled by an unwieldy patronage largess with Zellner sitting as titular head; and the opposition faction led by the revered political operative G. Steven Pigeon, who is closely aligned with Max.
“Would we make a beat cop the Chief of Police or a first year teacher a Superintendent of Schools,” Magierski suggested in a conversation earlier this summer. “Experience matters.”
The primary contest is widely considered a toss up and both factions are expected to wage aggressive campaigns.
This isn’t a surprise at all. Everyone knows what side Alice has bedded down with. She isn’t for the the TAXPAYER never has been and this article is just another nail in her coffin. Aligning yourself with the likes of Ms. Holtz and Frank Max will be her cause of losing an Election. Shame on you Alice you have no right to say you’re a WATCHDOG for Taxpayers.
Interesting. I think it is a good thing that women are running for this seat. Mary and Frank have the right to publicly say who they support. Someone being supported by another doesn’t mean that that person is controlled by the people that support them. It would be a shame if people held Diane responsible for the actions of the men/individuals around her, just because they support her.
Let’s focus on listening to the issues, because I never hear any criticism related to policies etc. Cheektowaga politics is more about talking bad about the next guy, rather than speaking about issues that impact the greater good of the entire community.
Please don’t short change the people with personal insults, but no specifics on the issues. Give the people a chance to see the substance in a candidate. Help teach the people to understand how the town functions, and what each individual should expect from their leadership/representatives. In addition, teach the people their role in improving the community, and communicating with their elected officials.
Otherwise, what’s the point? If I give it to you, I’m going to be able to say why, and what you did wrong, and how such actions impact me or the people.
We have got to do better.
Good point Katrinna so let me start by giving you one reason what is wrong with the way Alice operates. Just last week her “Right Democratic Team” had a fundraiser and Alice had people picking up their tickets for this fundraiser at her Town Clerks office. A typical tactic Frank Max had done for years. I as a taxpayer don’t think the Town Clerks office should be used in this manner.
Are these tickets sold at work? Or are supporters/fundraiser junkies picking up their tickets at work?
I thought all of their co-workers/colleagues attend their fundraisers? I would assume that many of the people that work for the town attend Diane’s and Alice’s fundraisers. If for no other reason, but just to be nice. If my colleagues were running against each other I’d likely attend both. Is that how it should be? I don’t know.
Okay really? We have a highway superintendent giving out road milling, petty real estate ethical issues, potential back door bogus merchandise deals, and earned income payments to an individual not entitled to be paid.
I forgive all you folks lol. Now, what do they have to say and offer?
Picking up tickets? Just doesn’t have that same wow factor. And the other stuff is pretty useless too.
Is your point, “the misuse of goods and services?”
you would have more post if , the owner of the site didn’t pick and choose what stays.