By Neale Gulley<br><a href="mailto:gulleyn@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Neale</a>
The Tonawanda News
May 06, 2008 12:26 am
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The deadline for candidates to submit petitions for three open seats on the City’s school board has been extended as the result of one candidate’s withdrawal.
Leslie Stolzenfels, former treasurer for the City of North Tonawanda, has dropped out of the race.
District Clerk John Tylec said two full positions and the balance of another vacated by Leon Szczerbinski shortly after he was elected last year, must be filled by applicants who file their paperwork on or before the new May 13 deadline.
The current list of candidates for board vacancies are: Michael Carney, Frank DiBernardo and Scott Schultz.
Schultz is former president of the seven-member panel but lost in last year’s election cycle. Minus Szczerbinski, six individuals now comprise the board’s membership.
Incumbents David Guido and David Rechin are nearing the end of their three-year terms and in order for all five contended seats to run opposed, two additional contenders would have to step forward in the next week.
Beginning in January 2007, the district alleged that Stolzenfels, then North Tonawanda City Treasurer, may have incorrectly collected school funds, costing the district thousands in tax interest dividends.
She could not be reached for comment Monday about her decision to drop out of the race.
City Attorney Shawn Nickerson said there haven’t been any further developments in the nearly 18-month-old spat. The district in January voted to retain attorney James J. Rooney to sue the city over the alleged oversight.
Prior to the district’s decision to employ Rooney, a settlement was offered by the city in an attempt to quell the issue. City officials drew up a proposal in October requesting that, in return for forbearance on the uncollected tax claims, a deed restriction would be removed from a property on Walck Road slated to be sold for private development.
“We have had conversations back and forth but at this point, the city sent the settlement proposal which was rejected by the district,” Nickerson said.
Developer David Stapleton is working to execute plans for residential real estate subdivisions on the Walck Road property.
Bob Arbeiter, a seven-year member of the body with one year remaining in his three-year term said he thinks it is important to have competition drive the selection of board members.
“You have to go out and prove publicly that you really want to do the job,” he said. “You’re putting a lot of hours in for no pay.”
Arbeiter cited two unopposed candidates in Niagara Falls as a bad example of how the volunteer decision-making body should function.
“I think the more the merrier. When you look at Niagara Falls where you have nobody running against each other, they don’t have to go out and hustle for the votes,” he said.
Arbeiter also acknowledged the controversy surrounding Stolzenfels’ past working relationship with the school district, but said he doesn’t think it would have negatively impacted her bid.
“I know there’s a problem with the tax collection but I never had a problem with her,” the senior board member said. “I think she would have been a good candidate.”
Those interested in becoming board members must accumulate at least 100 signatures from district residents.
Petitions can be picked up at the clerk’s office, located in the school administration building, 175 Humphrey St.
State education laws allow for extensions of up to one week and no more than seven days prior to the election. Ballots are scheduled to be cast May 20.
Members of the abbreviated six-member board are: Arbeiter, Guido, Rechin, Christine Porto, Martin Burruano and Jeffrey Glatz.
Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.
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