Democrats Pick Kaznowski for Town Board Vacancy

[Beethoven]

Democrats pick Kaznowski for Town Board vacancy
By Thomas J. Dolan NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 12/11/07 7:04 AM

Cheektowaga Democrats Monday voted to recommend community leader Stan J. Kaznowski III for the Town Board seat being vacated by Alice Magierski, who will take over in January as Town Clerk.

Kaznowski, president of the Town Park Home Owners Association, won the blessing of the 222- member Democratic town committee at a meeting Monday evening despite a late push by Town Clerk Mary F. Holtz for his opponent, Tim Meyers.

Holtz recently sent a letter supporting Meyers to the 222 committee members. But she said Monday before the meeting that she could support either candidate. The vote came during a 90-minute committee meeting in the Eagles Club at Broadway and Borden Road. “I can work with either Stan or Tim. That will not be a problem,” Holtz said.

By law, it’s up to the Town Board to fill a vacant seat until a special election can be held. But, with the Cheektowaga board being made up entirely of Democrats, the party vote is expected to weigh heavily in the Town Board’s decision.

Democratic Town

Chairman Frank Max also expressed confidence Monday that the Town Board will approve the party’s candidate.

Andrew Kulyk, Cheektowaga Zoning Board chairman and a former member of the Town Board, dropped out of the race before the meeting.

Kaznowski, 50, chief financial officer of Curtis Screw Co., was considered a favorite for the vacant seat after his loss in the Democratic primary race by six votes to convenience store owner Charles C. Markel, who was not endorsed by the party.

If appointed, Kaznowski said he would “bring professional, financial and labor relations expertise to town government.” He also said he would aim to develop “an aggressive approach” to stopping the deterioration of the town’s housing stock, and hold residents accountable for failing to maintain their properties.

Meyers is the son of former Town Supervisor Frank Meyers. The party’s recommendation will now go to the Town Board, which will likely take up the matter at its Jan. 7 meeting.

tdolan@buffnews.com

[JustRetired]

So the people of the Town had their choice of 7 candidates, the top 3 were elected. Why wouldn't the candidate that finished 4th be considered for the position? That's who the people wanted, but no, we get the candidate that finished LAST, oh wait, wrong party.

D MARKEL, CHARLES C 8,659 17%

D SWIATEK, JEFF 10,510 20%
I SWIATEK, JEFF 1,020 2%
C SWIATEK, JEFF 971 2%
SWIATEK, JEFF Totals 12,501 24%

D ZYDEL, RICHARD A 8,871 17%
C ZYDEL, RICHARD A 1,021 2%
ZYDEL, RICHARD A Totals 9,892 19%

R KAMINSKI, GERALD P 6,630 13%

R MAISANO, RICHARD J 4,944 10%
W MAISANO, RICHARD J 931 2%
MAISANO, RICHARD J Totals 5,875 11%

R STEWART, C W 4,993 10%
I STEWART, C W 873 2%
STEWART, C W Totals 5,866 11%

I KAZNOWSKI, STANLEY J III 1,294 3%
C KAZNOWSKI, STANLEY J III 980 2%
KAZNOWSKI, STANLEY J III Totals 2,274 4%

[mesue]

So the people of the Town had their choice of 7 candidates, the top 3 were elected. Why wouldn't the candidate that finished 4th be considered for the position? ...

because that's too much like ... right.
Cheektowaga isn't about giving the people what they want.
Mr. Kaminski is good man. He and his wife are a very cool couple.

[JustRetired]

OK, it's apparently semi official, the candidate that finished last in the election gets appointed to the Town Board. All the other candidates got more than twice as many votes and get no consideration. The TB will probably follow the recommendation of the Dem Comm., how about following the recommendation of the voters.

Only in Cheektowaga could last WIN.

[WNYresident]

Wait till you hear the BS about the new sanitation department. I wonder if the most qualified person got hired for the position.

I wonder if all the references were called on the handed in resumes.

I wonder who of the current town board is going to vote yes to this move.

It will add more cost to living in cheektowaga.

I also heard the most qualified is not being considered...

[crabapples]

So the people of the Town had their choice of 7 candidates, the top 3 were elected. Why wouldn't the candidate that finished 4th be considered for the position? That's who the people wanted, but no, we get the candidate that finished LAST, oh wait, wrong party.

Well put. But as the article says, the Dem committee is recommending Kaznowski to the Board. Of course, they are going to recommend a Dem, they chose the guy who lost the Dem primary by 7 votes in September as their recommendation.

The Town Board could do the approriate thing and hold interviews of interested people. However, they are just going to follow their town chairman and pick "one of their own."

I dont know Stan, so I dont want to say he is a bad choice, it just reeks of political impropriety. Didnt the town Dem committee do the same thing last year when they chose Jankowiak as Super to replace Gabby? Then they replace Jimmy J with someone else (cant remember) in the same fashion?

A lot of backroom deals going on for sure.

[JustRetired]

Well put. But as the article says, the Dem committee is recommending Kaznowski to the Board. Of course, they are going to recommend a Dem, they chose the guy who lost the Dem primary by 7 votes in September as their recommendation.

The Town Board could do the approriate thing and hold interviews of interested people. However, they are just going to follow their town chairman and pick "one of their own."

I dont know Stan, so I dont want to say he is a bad choice, it just reeks of political impropriety. Didnt the town Dem committee do the same thing last year when they chose Jankowiak as Super to replace Gabby? Then they replace Jimmy J with someone else (cant remember) in the same fashion?

A lot of backroom deals going on for sure.

I think it was Alice M., that replaced Jimmy J. on the Board. Now she is the Town Clerk. Cheektowaga has been the Democrat Club for years. Deals, deals and more deals.

[momofmbc]

Wait till you hear the BS about the new sanitation department. I wonder if the most qualified person got hired for the position.

I wonder if all the references were called on the handed in resumes.

I wonder who of the current town board is going to vote yes to this move.

It will add more cost to living in cheektowaga.

I also heard the most qualified is not being considered...

I heard that there are 3 being considered and that they have to appear on Monday before the board. From what I have heard no one has officially been hired yet. I'm sure tha this is all a ploy and that the board has already made up it's mind and are wasting the time of the people applying. What do you expect, they have to make it look like it's on the up and up.

[WNYresident]

This whole matter should be decided after the elected highway guy gets a crack at it.

From what I have heard they are considering frank max who's resume had his wife down at the erie county water authority as a reference. Could be a lie but so far more than one person has said this.

Who are the people you believe will vote yes on this matter?

Where is Mark on this matter.

[crabapples]

I think it was Alice M., that replaced Jimmy J. on the Board. Now she is the Town Clerk. Cheektowaga has been the Democrat Club for years. Deals, deals and more deals.

Magierski was appointed in 2003 in a similar wheel and deal. Richard Zydel was appointed in January to fill Jankowiaks position after he played musical chairs and became Supervisor for one year after Gabryszak replaced Tokasz in another political scheme in the state assembly. what a tangled web these people weave...

[WNYresident]

And the current supervisor is actually looking to move out of Cheektowaga when his term is over?

[Beethoven]

On November 6, the taxpayers voted a new Highway Superintendent in by a margin of 2 - 1. It was a big victory for a newcomer to politics! From what I can tell, the Highway Superintendent has always overseen both the Highway and Sanitation departments. Suddenly, the current supervisor and town board wants to take Sanitation away from the Highway Superintendent for better accountability to the board. They say that the majority of complaints the town has been getting is about Sanitation. I am confused as to why the newly elect Superintendent wouldn't be given a chance to prove himself before separating the departments now before he takes office on January 1?

At this point there is only one man that has applied for the job! He is the current foreman who has run the day-to-day operations of the Sanitation Department for years. The guy that pretty much runs this department now, that gets most of the complaints in town, will get rewarded with a big raise. I guess this is what we do in town...reward failure with a raise. Why would they think anything would change by putting the same guard in charge?

I posted this December 1st and I still am raising the same question: Why wouldn't the newly elect Highway Superintendent be given a chance to prove himself before separating the departments now before he takes office in two weeks? And why would they think anything would change by putting the same guard in charge? At least one thing has changed: there are 3 candidates instead of just 1. The big question is will they appoint the old guard or a new guard if, they indeed, have to separate the departments to save money?

[OneEmerald]

I posted this December 1st and I still am raising the same question: Why wouldn't the newly elect Highway Superintendent be given a chance to prove himself before separating the departments now before he takes office in two weeks? And why would they think anything would change by putting the same guard in charge? At least one thing has changed: there are 3 candidates instead of just 1. The big question is will they appoint the old guard or a new guard if, they indeed, have to separate the departments to save money?

I can't get an honest answer from anyone about the "why." Accountability is all they say. The highway super is too busy with highway to also manage sanitation -- so they say. I was also told that there were 8 resumes submitted for the chief foreman (or what ever they call it) position. I was told the appointment will be made next month and the separation is a done deal. It doesn't matter that there will be 3 new people on the board Jan. 1. It doesn't matter that the 3 new people can change the decision of the separation. I am pissed about this decision and told the board how I felt but they just don't care.

[mesue]

I think there will be even less accountability if you separate the one dept into two. Especially if it goes to patronage. I think they really want less acountability for the person that they are making the head of the new dept.

[WNYresident]

I wonder if they will put in time clocks. I heard some of the people ( ONE particular) who may earn a full time salary isn't there for the most part full time.

Do we know if anyone from the town board reads the site? I'd like to know who is going to vote yes on this matter and exactly why they came up with this decision.