Ban sought on political activity by most City Hall workers
Arms being twisted, four lawmakers say
Claiming City Hall has become a thinly disguised political campaign headquarters for some factions, four Common Council members will unveil new legislation this week that targets “partisan political activity.”
The Buffalo Employment Protection Act would bar most city employees from managing campaigns, donating to political fundraisers or even circulating candidates’ petitions. The only exceptions would involve fewer than 50 employees who are political appointees and work directly in the offices of the mayor, Common Council and comptroller.
Sponsors said the law would be modeled after restrictions approved or proposed in other cities, including Madison, Wis., and Dallas.
“I don’t think City Hall should be a political arm,” said Niagara District Council Member David A. Rivera. “People feel compelled to donate money, collect petitions and take days off to work on campaigns. People’s arms are almost twisted off.”
Even when there’s no blatant coercion, said Delaware Council Member Michael J. LoCurto, there’s implied pressure. He’s convinced political actions emanating from City Hall have intensified in the past two years.
“It’s like the activities that went on over here in the 1950s,” said LoCurto.
The other sponsors of the proposed legislation are South Council Member Michael P. Kearns and Council Majority Leader Richard A. Fontana. While the resolution is still being finalized, a draft bill would call on the city’s Board of Ethics to investigate any alleged violations, then recommend appropriate disciplinary action.
“People are so cynical about government, and political activity contributes to the cynicism,” said Lo- Curto.
LoCurto and Rivera provided a list of city employees who recently donated money to Mayor Byron W. Brown’s campaign fund. In the span of less than four months, Brown received more than 234 donations totaling $53,000 from about 200 city workers, the lawmakers said.
They added that it’s not uncommon for city employees to feel obligated to roam neighborhoods getting signatures on nominating petitions for candidates who are allied with elected city officials. Both LoCurto and Rivera said they’ve received numerous complaints from workers who felt pressured to gather signatures or work on campaigns.
LoCurto and Rivera said dozens of employees gathered signatures for Barbra Kavanaugh’s Assembly race against incumbent Sam Hoyt. However, other city employees carried petitions for Hoyt and a number of other primary candidates this season.
A similar issue surfaced a year ago, when many city employees worked on a couple of hotly contested Council campaigns.
The lawmakers made it clear they’re not just targeting Brown’s political camp, and they noted that the rules would affect all levels of government — including the Council.
In fact, North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. raised a similar issue a few years ago when he complained some employees in the Council’s central staff office felt compelled to work as volunteers at Erie County Democratic Party headquarters. Golombek said he felt it was wrong then and continues to believe employees shouldn’t feel pressured to engage in political activities.
Does this mean Golombek might provide the fifth pivotal vote for the Buffalo Employment Protection Act? He said he will carefully consider the legislation when it’s filed.
“The one concern I have is that it might take away the rights of certain employees who may like a certain candidate and want to work for that person,” Golombek said Saturday.
Brown is reserving judgment on the bill until it’s filed, said Communications Director Peter K. Cutler.
“We can’t comment on something we haven’t seen,” Cutler said.
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