DiFalco wants a pause on notifications
Mayoral candidate Ellen DiFalco says her opponent, incumbent Steve Noble, should cease sending out press releases and his newsletter until after the Nov. 5 election.
“Running against an incumbent mayor is difficult enough because no matter what he does during the course of his day, it’s perceived as doing his job,” said DiFalco, who is a registered Democrat running on the Republican and Independence lines, in a press release. “In reality, he’s campaigning for free at taxpayers’ expense sending out weekly newsletters via Constant Contact and other notifications released to the media outlets.”
Noble, a Democrat, says he will continue to let the public know about happenings, events, and progress on projects.
“As you know, my administration began sending out regular newsletters and press releases in January 2016 — many years before I announced my bid for reelection,” Noble said, referring to the date he took office. “I firmly believe that access to consistent, timely and accurate information is a basic right of each of our citizens and I will continue to work with my staff to inform residents of pertinent municipal and community information.”
Still, DiFalco said the mayor possesses an unfair advantage.
DiFalco urged Noble “to allow his director of communications and community engagement Summer Smith to release communications in her name only until after Nov. 5.”
DiFalco said that would level the playing filed.
“We have a director of communications and community engagement who is paid $47,037 plus benefits totaling $89,608 who should be releasing these advisories and communications which is part of her job duties,” DiFalco said.
In February 2018, the Ulster County Legislature took action on a different matter but for similar reasons that DiFalco suggests.
It established a policy that prohibits elected officials from attaching their name to any public service announcement paid for with public monies.
The measure, sponsored by county Legislator Joseph Maloney, was adopted by an 18-4 vote, despite the objections of some lawmakers who called the policy a “solution without a problem.”
In his resolution, Maloney said the practice of elected officials attaching their names to public service announcements, “amounts to free and inappropriate political advertising for incumbent elected officials,” and said there was, “no true benefit to the taxpayers” to have the names of elected officials attached to such announcements.
Vince Rua, who is running for mayor under the SAM (formerly Serve America Movement) party line, said he is more disturbed about reports he has received that city employees are doing politicking while working.
“... If the Mayor is using a city email list, that is troublesome... but at the end of the day, he is preaching to his choir,” Rua said in an email.