At its regular meeting on Thursday March 14, the Ela Township Board will discuss and vote on whether to mail the township newsletter immediately before the April 9 consolidated election. The four-color, four-page, tabloid-size newsletter is mailed to every home in the township and contains articles written by each township official touting their service to the Township.
Barbara Evans, Wayne Wnek and Nancy Shepherdson, members of the Ela Tax Reform Party, opposing the township officials in the April 9 election, have asked the township board to delay publication until the day after the election. They contend that sending the newsletter immediately before the election amounts to an unethical use of taxpayer money to influence the election. The Ela Tax Reform Party members have stated in person to Supervisor Lucy Prouty and by email that because the newsletter presents actions by elected officials in a way likely to influence the opinions of voters, the distribution of the newsletter should be postponed.
Members of the Ela Tax Reform Party also earlier requested that they be allowed to insert an educational article into the newsletter but were refused by Supervisor Prouty.
All of the members of the Ela Township Board are up for election on April 9 except for Trustee Anne Dobbertin.
Members of the Ela Tax Reform Party include: Barbara Evans for Supervisor, Wayne Wnek for Assessor, Paul Jankowski for Clerk, Randy Abbott for Highway Commissioner, and Trustee candidates Mike Jennings, Vaseem Iktekhar, Nancy Shepherdson and Tony Lombardo.
This news release was submitted by the Ela Tax Reform Party.
For those unfamiliar with them, these meetings are conducted BY the public [not the trustees] and are binding on the Township Board. What other way effectively informs the public of both the meeting and issues of substance?