Reisman: Spreckman's resignation sparks partisan fight

Bernice Spreckman’s resignation from the Westchester County Board of Legislators seemed like such an innocuous event.

What could possibly go awry?

Consider the following facts: Spreckman, a Republican, honorably served her Yonkers constituents for 23 years; soon she will turn 81 years of age; she is a grandmother who was just given a pacemaker. A celebrated advocate for senior citizens, she admits to slowing down a little.

“It’s time, already,” she said. “It’s too much for me.”

No problem, right? Wrong.

On June 7, Spreckman dutifully handed a letter of resignation to board Chairman Mike Kaplowitz — and all of Bernice’s many admirers said they were sad to see her go. Seemingly overnight, however, Spreckman’s well-earned retirement erupted into a partisan squabble. The dispute centers on the scheduling of a special election in Spreckman’s 14th Legislative District, which includes parts of Yonkers and Mount Vernon.

Although Spreckman is not faulted for this hair-pulling contest, she regards it as a personal assault on her longstanding credo that party politics has no place in county government.

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The trouble started when Spreckman’s notice was submitted to the clerk of the Board of Legislators. That was a fatal mistake, say Democrats led by Majority Leader Catherine Borgia, who are contending that the state Public Officers Law requires that letters of resignation be submitted to the county clerk, not the clerk of the board.

The June 7 letter didn’t land on the county clerk’s desk until June 20.

The difference of 13 days is critical.

Under the law, the special election must be held within 90 days of Spreckman’s resignation.

Borgia’s team wants to set the election for Sept. 13, which would fall within the 90-day rule, but only if June 20 was deemed to be Spreckman’s official date of resignation. The Sept. 13 date would be beneficial to the Democrats because that just happens to be primary day in Mount Vernon, which, of course, means a higher Democratic voter turnout.

The Republicans argue that the Public Officers Law says officials may resign to the county clerk, as if there is some kind of alternative option involved. In any case, they point out that, in the past, other legislators have resigned to the clerk of the board, and no one ever made it a stink about it.

GOP operatives say no matter how you slice it, Spreckman’s resignation was made effective June 7. Tentatively, they want to hold the special election on Aug. 2.

This is driving the Borgia Democrats crazy. They are salivating over the prospect of gaining another seat on the board and they know their chances would be slim if an election were held in the dog days of summer. They may be correct in assuming it would attract no more than a handful of mostly dazed and dehydrated zombies looking for an air-conditioned room.

Borgia, who at times strains to project an image of fiscal prudence, argues that it’s the mendacious Republicans who are profligate. Holding a separate election in August, she says, would not only suppress voter turnout but would be a reckless waste of taxpayers’ money, costing $100,000. Republicans say she is exaggerating and that the September election would save only $20,000.

Both sides are righteous about who is failing to follow the letter of the law.

If you think much of this is self-serving piffle, give yourself a cigar. The fact is that the future of the free world is not riding on this election, no matter when it is held.

The Republican candidate is David Tubiolo, a young factotum of County Executive Rob Astorino and the son of Justin Tubiolo, the head of the Yonkers GOP. The Democrat is Christine Peters. This is her second bid, having run and lost against Spreckman last year.

Nothing against either candidate, but here’s a question: Why do we need all these squabbling county legislators in the first place?

Perhaps it’s time to dust off the Carsky Proposal.

Kay Carsky, who died in 2011, was a well-respected Republican county legislator from Yonkers. When she left office, she wrote a letter recommending that the number of legislators be reduced from 17 to nine.

Even though Carsky also advocated a raise in legislative pay, the overall cost savings would have been substantial. Think, too, of the reduction in hot air.

It can be done is all I’m saying.

In the meantime, the legislators will be holding a special meeting Monday at which they are supposed to settle the Spreckman affair.

Placing blame for the impasse solely on the Republican power brokers, Borgia evoked Spreckman’s name.

“This is an affront to Spreckman’s legacy, since her guiding principle of ‘People Before Politics’ is being ignored,” Borgia said in a press release.

Is that the pot calling the kettle black?

Spreckman for one wasn’t buying the soft soap when I spoke to her on Wednesday. “Catherine Borgia, you know what? I hate to tell you. She butts in all over.”