Town of Wheatfield attorney Robert O’Toole on Monday encouraged voters to ignore a questionable piece of campaign literature that was delivered to several homes on the eve of election day.
O’Toole said the document in question, which suggested some town officials want to turn the former Summit Mall into a home for sex offenders, has “absolutely not one word of truth” in it.
“As a town government, we really want people to know that there’s no truth to what’s being said in that flier,” O’Toole said.
The piece of literature was attached to several mail and newspaper boxes in the town on Monday. It suggested the plan for housing sex offenders was being endorsed by a current candidate in the race for town supervisor and several town councilmen. It encouraged “neighbors to unite to stop sexual predators from living in our backyards” and suggests it was written by a mother of two who is “angry” and “worried” for all of the town’s children. It also encourages residents to contact the town councilmen and the supervisor candidate.
“They say it will be secure, however, we do not this type of housing in our town,” reads the notice.
O’Toole characterized the delivery of the material as a political dirty trick, saying town officials have never discussed such a plan. He added that it would be “virtually impossible” for the mall building to be converted into living quarters under town code.
“It’s nonsense,” O’Toole said. “The town has not considered any proposal to use the Summit Mall to house sex offenders of any kind. The town wants people to know that there’s no truth to it.”
Jim Anthony, whose company Oberlin Plaza One owned the site for many years, also said the flier has no basis in truth and characterized it as unethical and “tragic” election season behavior.
“Nobody has ever, ever, in the history of our ownership of the property talked to us about anything remotely like a home for sexual predators,” Anthony said. “It’s obviously a political maneuver.”
Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250.
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