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Depew election pits 'People' seeking piece of board 'Action'
By John J. Hopkins and Michael Petro Times
When voters in Depew head for the polls on Tuesday, they will choose between candidates from an upstart "Peoples Voice" party taking on candidates from an established "Action" party that has held a firm grip on the village board for years.
Candidates from both parties pledge to be or remain fiscally responsible, but they deviate in their methods.
For example, the Action Party points to tax savings it generated for residents in past years and the village recently received a reimbursement from the towns of Cheektowaga and Lancaster for police services.
The People's Voice Party believes there is fat to trim from the budget, and they say that they will scour the village's fiscal plan and eliminate unnecessary positions.
With four of the six trustee seats and the position of mayor open in this year's election, the board, currently dominated by the Action Party, could see a total swing in power if the People's Voice of Depew is successful in its efforts.
"We've worked very hard, done a lot of walking to talk with residents, prepared a lot of literature and answered as many questions as possible and so far the response we're getting has been very positive," said People's Voice candidate for mayor Barbara Alberti.
Alberti stressed that her party, which features all "homegrown" candidates, would mainly like to see a cut in recently rising taxes by finding a way to offer essential services at more affordable prices.
For example, the People's Voice supports cutting two trustee positions from the village board. The Action Party also backs this plan, and recently voted to place the decision in the hands of Depew residents on Tuesday.
Members of the inactive Progressive Party of Depew called for the reduction in 2003. Their sole board representative, Sandra Pieczynski, introduced a resolution calling for the reduction.
Five of the Action Party's six members voted against the measure. Only William Maryniewski supported Pieczynski in 2003. Today, Pieczynski is a member of the Action Party, and Maryniewski is running with the People's Voice.
Jeff Davis is another former Progressive Party member now running on the Action Party's ticket.
"I had a difficult time getting over past Progressive Party indiscretions," Davis said. "I attended some Action Party meetings, and they promote a positive attitude."
Pieczynski said she joined the Action Party for similar reasons.
"They have the residents' best interests in their thoughts," Pieczynski said. "They're not going to smite you if you don't agree with them. It's very important for me to speak my mind."
On the People's Voice side, Joseph Keefe, a practicing lawyer, whose family has roots in Depew for more than 100 years, believes it is essential to be creative in finding ways to cut costs and believes his party can sit down and analyze the personnel and services to produce the most efficient budget possible.
He believes some fiscal reductions without losing the quality of life for residents may have to be made by the village sharing services, such as code enforcement, with the neighboring towns of Cheektowaga and Lancaster.
"I feel like with my background and experience, I can help with budget and tax issues," said Keefe, who has served on various professional boards and not-for-profit organizations.
Both sides say that they will retain the Depew Police Department. The Action Party's Eugene Molinaro takes it one step further.
"The police department and DPW aren't going anywhere," Molinaro said. "Take a look at how they served the village during last October's snowstorm. They went above and beyond the call of duty."
Mayor Joseph McIntosh, seeking his second four-year term with the Action Party, said it is difficult to hold down taxes when the costs of employee benefits- such as retirement contributions and insurance- spiral upward every year.
As Chief Financial Officer for Robert-James Sales, McIntosh said he has observed the same problem in the private sector.
McIntosh also noted that unlike New York State towns, villages were not allowed to postpone retirement contributions following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"If we would have had that option available, it's a totally different world in Depew today," McIntosh said. "We didn't get the opportunity to postpone $750,000 for a year."
McIntosh also noted that when employees do their job well, they should be rewarded.
Cleaning up the village has been a major issue on Linda Hammer's agenda since she became involved in village politics four years ago. During that time, the outspoken Hammer was instrumental in forming a petition to rid the village of a compost facility on Transit Road.
"I'm very interested in getting the village back on track and cleaned up and we're not very happy with the selective code enforcement that has been going on for years," said Hammer.
As an attorney who specializes in commercial real estate, Pieczynski said she looks forward to revamping the village codes to make them more "user-friendly."
Polls in Depew are open Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m.
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