By: Eric M. Firkel
Olean Star
The Olean City Republican Committee met Thursday to meet Candidates ahead of this June’s primary election. Mayoral candidates Amy Sherberne and Jared Isaman attended as did Ward 2 Alderman Candidate Joe Keary and District Attorney candidate Ashley Smith. Mayor Aiello was unable to attend as he attended the YMCA’s annual Salute to Olean dinner. The Committee did not change the meeting date to accommodate the Mayor.
Only 9 of the City’s 21 Committee Members attended the meeting. Committee members believed that their bylaws required a majority of committee members to be in attendance to hold a valid meeting. Kelly Andreano called Joe Guenther on the phone in an attempt to round up 11 Committee members.
The Olean Star obtained a copy of the Olean Republican Committee Bylaws (see below). The bylaws we obtained indicate only 7 committee members are required to constitute a quorum; however, that set of bylaws also provides in Article 1 that there are only 7 members of the committee (one member from each Ward). The current City Republican Committee has 21 members (three for each Ward). City Committee Members continue to search for a definitive set of Bylaws.
After each of the candidates spoke, Mary Fay moved to endorse Ashley Smith for District Attorney. The members present voted to endorse Smith; however, there was no motion to endorse for the Mayoral or Alderman races.
On Friday March 7, Fay forwarded an email poll to 15 of the 20 other members of the Committee to accept the nomination of Joe Keary for Ward 2 Alderman and attaching is resume. Fay’s email was silent on the Mayoral race. The set of bylaws we obtained provide no provision for voting over the telephone or via email.
Following the meeting, Committee Member, Kevin Dougherty sent an email to the committee calling for Fay to be removed as Chairwoman. Dougherty said, “procedural mishaps seem to run rampant in this committee.” Kevin said the telephone appearance by Guenther and email poll was illegal and likely violated committee bylaws.
Dougherty was most incensed that Fay excluded five members of the committee from official emails and notices. Kevin said, “this is the third time that I’ve put this committee on notice for having been left off the notifications…I am now going to conclude that this has been an intentional effort to remove duly elected committee members’ votes.”
Kevin said that at the next ‘actual meeting’ he will be making a motion for Mary Fay to be removed as Chair.
We reached out to Chairman May Fay Saturday for comment, but she did not respond.
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All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
