Republicans eating their own in Henrietta
What’s up in Henrietta?
Republican Primaries– that is so non-Republican. Aside for an open seat, when was the last time there was a local Republican primary?
Anyway this is interesting the incumbent Town Supervisor Jim Breese has decided to run for reelection and is getting a primary challenge from board member Michael Yudelson.
I don’t know that much about Breese but he is quoted assessing the impact of COMIDA grants in the Town of Henrietta to Henrietta homeowners at $524 per household. How many households in Henrietta?
Anyway -why the delay in announcing?
Is there friction behind the scenes?
Comments?
Another Town board member, Jack Driscoll, has also announced his intention to run for Supervisor, just as he did in the last election in which he lost the primary to Breese.
The interesting part about the last election was that the town committee actually endorsed Driscoll over Breese last time around. I’m not sure if they’ll be doing that again.
Jack Driscoll will not be running.
This is nothing new…..they have been having these primaries every two years going back many many years, the only new wrinkle this year is that Yudelson is involved.
Breese and Driscoll have never liked each other as far as I know.
I just checked the BOE site….maybe its not “many many” years, but they did this in 2003, 2005, and now again in 2007.
The reason for a primary in Henrietta, like there were in Chili, Penfield two years ago, is because the Chairman of the Republican Party, who publicly denouces primaries, is behind the effort to remove Jim Breese from office. Another example of Mr. Minarik saying one thing before the TV cameras, and doing the complete opposite when he sits in his office handing out orders to his minions.
[...] on stlo7’s post about Henrietta’s GOP feud, comes an interesting article in the Messenger Post about [...]
Apparently, for some time the Henrietta Repugs have been trying to get rid of Breese. He’s a nasty man, in poor health who needs to leave. Yudelson actually is a good guy who has losts of experience with youth services and would be taking a significant pay cut should he win, and let’s hope for Henrietta’s sake that he does.
From my understanding, there are quite a few Republicans in Henrietta who don’t like Yudelson either. As a point of interest, Yudelson was fired from the Town of Henrietta, before he ran for town board. He was caught mucking around with another town employee. Officially, he was fired for a personnel-related issue. He’s divorced now and has had numerous partners over the years, which apparently makes some Repubs uncomfortable.
He’s also been at least “virtually” violating the Hatch Act, since he’s been in office. The youth bureaus that he has worked for receive large sums of money from the state and federal government. The trick with the Hatch Act is that you have to prove that the government money an agency receives was specifically directed toward an individual’s job. I’m not sure whether this was the case with Yudelson at any point in time. I imagine that he probably had his employer direct non-governmental monies toward his paycheck. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of working for an employer who is willing to do so. I’ve heard of at least one person who was unable to run for office, because their employer was directing public monies toward their job.
Yudelson is now the Executive Director at the current agency he works for. I’m sure if he has half a brain, he has been directing all federal funds toward other employees’ jobs. At the same time, how can an Executive Director legitimately claim to be unencumbered by federal funding? Something strikes me as ethically wrong about this!
I have met the guy, and have to say he doesn’t strike me as incredibly trust worthy. There is something a little too slick about him.
Beatrix Davis,
Your comment on the pay cut seems way off base and I, for one, would actually like you to cite where you found out that information.
Currently the Henrietta Town Supervisor receives compensation close to $97,000 in salary not including benefits (source: 2006 revised Henrietta budget). The highest paid supervisor in Monroe County I might add, if not a close second. Mike would have to be making more than $97,000 at a non profit organization (Threshold Center for Youth Services) that is attached with the UR. If Mike is indeed making at least that much at Threshold Center for Youth Services then I begin to question why someone makes TWICE the average household income for this area and three times the amount of any family his organization is intended to help.
If Mike wins the supervisor race I would be expecting him to share in the burden of keeping our taxes low and cut the already inflated supervisor salary to below $50,000. Making $97,000 as supervisor is ridiculous and insane. I’m sorry Beatrix, but I do not sympathize with Mike on any alleged salary cut and saying he is taking a cut doesn’t win any brownie points for me in the “he’s a nice guy” department. Yudelson, Breese and Mulligan are as slick as they come in terms of local politics.
Just setting the record straight.
Just how is Mulligan slick ? Is there dirt on him that I should know about too ? and my source is reliable. ( but I am unable to divulge) I’m not trying to make any brownie points for Mike, but I also don’t see where his choice of partners, or number of , bears any significance on his ability to do the job of supervisor. It’s time for Henrietta to get a new Supervisor and since the Dems aren’t putting anyone up (or are they?) then this is what you have to work with. I didn’t pick him.
How is Mulligan slick??? He is the director of the the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, also known as a tax haven to commercial development since they “rent” to just about every business from West Henrietta Rd to Jay Scutti Blvd (ie. MobilExxon, the artist formerly known as Hooters, the new controversial Holiday Inn) and then claim a nice state tax and federal benefit. Authorities, by the way, are under heavy scrutiny by the state AG and Comptroller for improper practices (if you view the comptroller’s website site and search for this GVRMA, it is no exception) The fact he has not excluded himself from running for Town Board and keeping the Director position, which he inherited from his father (can we say nepotism??), really doesn’t give him a gold medal for integrity. hey, you asked…
Also a side point about the Dems. They Dems have many qualified individuals to run for Supervisor however when you are dealing with a town that is extremely apathetic and blindly votes in the Reps with out questioning them, the job of putting those Dem candidates out their is a little more complex to be discussing in a blog.
I think that the reason people are blindy voting for the Repos in Henretta is their 55/45 tax base. 1.29/1,000 feels really good to alot of people. They HAVE kept taxes low.
I know all about running Dems in highly Republican populated areas. This is the year to do it. The Repos are going down. Find some Dems and run them!! Howard says first, you’ve got to show up.
[...] Henrietta, then Webster now Palmyra. From the Messenger Post PALMYRA  A woman who abruptly quit her job as [...]
[...] to show the local GOP eating its own, in Henrietta, for the contested Town Supervisor position we wrote about previously. Their summary: Brooks has not officially endorsed any candidate but one would have to assume that [...]
I e-mailed Mr. Yudleson to inquire if the town was considering building a wellness center.Many of the other area towns seem to be building wellness facilities for the use of town members ( i was very impressed with Penfield’s). It has been the subject of discussion with neighbors and friends in our area(some who have visited the Penfield facility ).there seemed to be to be a lot of attention over the years on playing fields and the senior center (I am 58 so I am not against projects for seniors or team sports for kids as I am also a grandma). But winter is Loooong in our area and an indoor area for exercise would so be appreciated( I am diabetic and must exercise).I received a reply from Mr. Yudleson (I didn’t know he headed the youth services)it seemed a bit nasty in tone letting me know that the town has been considering that very thing. I did not mean to suggest that I thought he was not doing a good job and am sorry if he interpreted my letter as such.But simply saying something like ” good news! we are considering just such a thing would have sufficed. the nasty tone really turned myself and my family off to Mr. Yuldleson. I think politicians need people skills, they are not rock stars but public servants and as such a little politeness would go a long way.
dahlimama
Welcome to RT. I’d be interested in the original email Mr Yudelson sent you with the nasty tone. Forward it to us via the contact form on the front page.
Sounds like an excellent post.
dahlimama,
It has been reported in various publications, including the Democrat and Chronicle and the Henrietta Post, that the town has been considering a YMCA or a community center with a gym/fitness room. I know the D&C first reported on it in March or April.
Also, the Pieters Family Life Center opened in Frontier Commons back in April. They have a full fitness center, a pool and they have occasional classes. Anyone can join.