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Several Herkimer County legislators are saying they are the victims of a political power play.
It all began Jan. 3 when the newly elected county legislature had its organizational meeting, at which the board chairman was chosen.
Vincent Bono, R - Schuyler, won the vote, but four members voted against him.
Then, when assignments to the legislature’s committees were handed out, those same four — three Democrats and one Republican — found themselves on just one committee apiece.
“If you don’t go along with the chairman, they will put you on the most meaningless committees,” said Legislator John Brezinski, D - Frankfort.
A review of the committee assignments found there are some legislators who have six committee assignments apiece.
Legislators Helen Rose, D - Herkimer, Gary Hartman, D - Herkimer, and Robert Schrader, R - Herkimer, were the others who voted against Bono.
Compounding the issue is the fact Rose, Brezinski and Hartman are the only three Democrats on the legislature.
Also, Rose, Schrader and Hartman are the only ones who represent the village of Herkimer, a key population center for the county and the proposed site for the county’s controversial new jail.
Bono has publicly denied he was retaliating against the four legislators.
Schrader, the lone Republican to vote against Bono, said his vote was not personal. As a representative of the village of Herkimer, he opposed Bono because Bono had voted to sue the village over issues relating to the controversial plans for a new county jail.
“I have to represent my people,” he said. “Speaking for my people, I cannot rightfully vote for someone who is doing things against my people.”
Schrader said he will go to as many committee meetings as he can and do his best to represent his constituents, despite the committee assignments.
On Herkimer County’s legislature, there are no rules defining how members of the minority party are placed on committees. It’s entirely up to the board chairman.
That’s not the way it is in neighboring Oneida County.
Oneida County’s Rules of the Board make clear every committee should have two vice chairmen, and a member of the minority party must hold one of those seats.
Though Oneida County has no rules about how many minority party members should be on each committee, Board Chairman Gerald Fiorini, R - Rome, said he tries to have the committee members reflect the balance of the total board. “They are all county legislators and all capable of doing the job,” he said. “I think it’s a fair way to do it.”
On the Herkimer legislature, there are 10 committees, each with six members. That means 60 committee seats must be filled by the 17 legislators.
If the seats were distributed evenly, each legislator would serve on either three or four committees.
Instead, three legislators, Raymond Smith, R - Dolgeville; Dennis Korse, R - Mohawk; and Bernard Peplinski, R - Ilion; have six assignments each. Several others have five assignments.
Susan Lerner, of the watchdog group Common Cause, called the situation “a very real problem from the voter point of view.” “The whole purpose of having county legislators on a committee is for them to be able to represent the best interests of their constituents regarding the subject of the committee,” she said. “The new chairman is putting his own political self-interest ahead of the constituents for those representatives and that is wrong.”
Conflicts between Rose and Bono are not new.
In May 2010, Rose and Bono had an argument after a meeting, and during the course of it many witnessed Bono refer to the male anatomy and make a lewd gesture with his hands.
Rose has been outspoken in her opposition to positions held by other board members.
At the time of the incident, fellow legislator Bruce Weakley, a Republican, said she did “absolutely nothing for the county but cause trouble.”
Rose said she has moved on from the incident, but added she was re-elected by her constituents. “I want to roll up my sleeves and work,” she said.
Several Herkimer County legislators are saying they are the victims of a political power play.
It all began Jan. 3 when the newly elected county legislature had its organizational meeting, at which the board chairman was chosen.
Vincent Bono, R - Schuyler, won the vote, but four members voted against him.
Then, when assignments to the legislature’s committees were handed out, those same four — three Democrats and one Republican — found themselves on just one committee apiece.
“If you don’t go along with the chairman, they will put you on the most meaningless committees,” said Legislator John Brezinski, D - Frankfort.
A review of the committee assignments found there are some legislators who have six committee assignments apiece.
Legislators Helen Rose, D - Herkimer, Gary Hartman, D - Herkimer, and Robert Schrader, R - Herkimer, were the others who voted against Bono.
Compounding the issue is the fact Rose, Brezinski and Hartman are the only three Democrats on the legislature.
Also, Rose, Schrader and Hartman are the only ones who represent the village of Herkimer, a key population center for the county and the proposed site for the county’s controversial new jail.
Bono has publicly denied he was retaliating against the four legislators.
Schrader, the lone Republican to vote against Bono, said his vote was not personal. As a representative of the village of Herkimer, he opposed Bono because Bono had voted to sue the village over issues relating to the controversial plans for a new county jail.
“I have to represent my people,” he said. “Speaking for my people, I cannot rightfully vote for someone who is doing things against my people.”
Schrader said he will go to as many committee meetings as he can and do his best to represent his constituents, despite the committee assignments.
On Herkimer County’s legislature, there are no rules defining how members of the minority party are placed on committees. It’s entirely up to the board chairman.
That’s not the way it is in neighboring Oneida County.
Oneida County’s Rules of the Board make clear every committee should have two vice chairmen, and a member of the minority party must hold one of those seats.
Though Oneida County has no rules about how many minority party members should be on each committee, Board Chairman Gerald Fiorini, R - Rome, said he tries to have the committee members reflect the balance of the total board. “They are all county legislators and all capable of doing the job,” he said. “I think it’s a fair way to do it.”
On the Herkimer legislature, there are 10 committees, each with six members. That means 60 committee seats must be filled by the 17 legislators.
If the seats were distributed evenly, each legislator would serve on either three or four committees.
Instead, three legislators, Raymond Smith, R - Dolgeville; Dennis Korse, R - Mohawk; and Bernard Peplinski, R - Ilion; have six assignments each. Several others have five assignments.
Susan Lerner, of the watchdog group Common Cause, called the situation “a very real problem from the voter point of view.” “The whole purpose of having county legislators on a committee is for them to be able to represent the best interests of their constituents regarding the subject of the committee,” she said. “The new chairman is putting his own political self-interest ahead of the constituents for those representatives and that is wrong.”
Conflicts between Rose and Bono are not new.
In May 2010, Rose and Bono had an argument after a meeting, and during the course of it many witnessed Bono refer to the male anatomy and make a lewd gesture with his hands.
Rose has been outspoken in her opposition to positions held by other board members.
At the time of the incident, fellow legislator Bruce Weakley, a Republican, said she did “absolutely nothing for the county but cause trouble.”
Rose said she has moved on from the incident, but added she was re-elected by her constituents. “I want to roll up my sleeves and work,” she said.
