WHITE PLAINS, NY - BOL Majority Leader Catherine Borgia has discovered that Legislator Bernice Spreckman’s resignation letter was incorrectly submitted and therefore her effective date of resignation has not yet occurred, according to New York State Public Officers Law Section 31 subd.1(f), which requires county officials to address their resignation letter to the County Clerk.  Since the earliest effective date of her resignation will be June 20, 2016, this allows the County board to set a special election for Primary Day, September 13, 2016, when there is already an election occurring in the Mt. Vernon section of the district.  Not adding another Election Day to the calendar has the potential to save taxpayers up to a hundred thousand dollars in overtime and other resources at a time when county government is under severe budgetary pressure.

Unfortunately, the Republican Leadership Faction is pushing to set the election for early August, when many voters are away. Chairman Kaplowitz, who prides himself on a reputation for saving money, is part of the group that seeks to set an additional election, costing taxpayer money and wasting county resources.

“This is a perfect opportunity for the County Board to make a good governance decision to save taxpayers upwards of $100k and to increase voter participation by combining the special election with the already-scheduled September primary.   We all agree that at a time when the County Executive’s budget cannot find the needed money to fund basic police and public safety services, cuts contracts to not-for-profits that provide essential services, and is borrows to cover basic operating expenses, the choice to hold an additional election is not fiscally prudent,” Majority Leader Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining) stated.

“With four elections already being held in 2016 (Presidential primary, Congressional primary, state and local primary in September, and the November general election), and a city-wide primary in the Mt. Vernon part of LD 14 already set for September 13, 2016, a special election on the same date will not only save taxpayer money but will also increase access to the ballot for the residents of the district. Setting the date in August is just a mechanism to waste taxpayer money and suppress voter turnout to the polls,” Borgia continued.

New York State Public Officers Law requires county officials to tender their resignation to the County Clerk. In a letter dated June 17, 2016, County Clerk Idoni stated that his office had yet to receive a letter of resignation from Legislator Spreckman.

“This is an affront to Legislator Spreckman’s legacy, since her guiding principle of ‘People Before Politics’ is being ignored. This is just a political maneuver that clearly puts “Politics Before People’,” Borgia concluded.