HADLEY — A candidate seeking re-election to the Planning Board, who is also challenging the two incumbent Select Board members at Tuesday’s town election, is criticizing the Select Board chairwoman for endorsing his opponents at the board’s meeting this week.
John Mieczkowski said Thursday that he is sending letters to the elections division of the Secretary of State, the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the town clerk and Select Board’s offices objecting to what he terms “totally, totally outrageous and unethical” comments Joyce Chunglo made at Wednesday’s Select Board meeting.
A Hadley Media recording of the meeting shows Chunglo reminding residents about the election and informing them that there is a write-in candidate for Planning Board and two incumbent members of the Select Board up for election. Mieczkowski’s name is not mentioned.
“Please write the name Mark Dunn, with a dot, if that’s who you are going to vote for,” Chunglo said.
She then proceeded to advocate for her colleagues and incumbent Select Board candidates David J. Fill II and John C. Waskiewicz II.
“Please re-elect them to this committee. We work well together as a group,” Chunglo said.
As she was talking, Town Administrator David Nixon interrupted. “Can we be saying these things? I’m going to have to throw a flag on the play,” Nixon said.
In an interview with the Gazette Thursday, Chunglo said her remarks were only about offering clarity to residents about the process for write-in votes. Since write-in candidates are not an annual occurrence, Chunglo said it is important people understand their votes will only be counted if the write-in circle on the ballot is filled in.
She also said she did not make any ill statements about Mieczkowski, who has come under fire for what some in town have described as racist comments he made at a recent Planning Board meeting.
“I didn’t say anything negative,” Chunglo said. “I just said we work well together.”
Massachusetts state ethics law states that the notification of an upcoming election is appropriate for an elected official to make.
“Any public employee, acting in her official capacity and using public resources, and acting in a neutral and non-partisan manner, may notify the public that a state, county or federal election will be held on a certain date and encourage all voters to vote,” the law states.
But the law also describes what might be considered political activity, and when the conflict of interest law might be violated.
“A public employee may not engage in political activity, whether election-related or non-election related… with the use of other public resources, such as staff time, public office space and facilities, public office equipment such as computers, copiers, and communications equipment, public websites and links to public websites, or public office supplies such as official stationery,” the law states. “A public employee who engages in such political activity, unless the activity is of truly minimal duration or significance… violates the conflict of interest law.”
Mieczkowski said he is filing official complaints against Chunglo because he believes her comments were unethical. He said he will request that the election be ruled invalid, that Chunglo be fined by state officials and that she be required to step down as a member of the board.
“That’s unbecoming for any political officer,” he said. “This definitely casts a cloud over the election.”
Chunglo said she is willing to smooth over the matter. “If I overstepped my bounds, I will apologize,” she said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
