Adam Bello, Monroe County’s next County Executive says he will fight what he calls a “blatant, self-serving power grab” by the majority Republicans on the county legislature.
A week after county voters elected their first Democratic county executive in three decades, the Republican-controlled County Legislature introduced a bill late Tuesday that would severely curtail the authority of the County Executive.
One of the provisions in the bill would give the legislature the power to approve the heads of every county department selected by the county executive.
Bello, who is currently county clerk, says this goes against the will of the voters who elected him county executive.
“They voted for a new direction, a county government that serves everyone. In a democracy, that’s the way it works; now, exactly one week later, the Republican Majority of the county legislature proposed legislation that attempts to overturn the results of that election and silence the voice of the people," Bello said at a Wednesday news conference.
Bello says his legal team is reviewing the steps taken by the majority Republicans who said they need to identify additional opportunities to provide the checks and balances the taxpayers demand.
When asked if County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo would respond, a statement was released by Monroe County spokesperson Jesse Sleezer on Wednesday which said that:
"The CABLE (Checks and Balances for Legislative Equality) Act of 2019 ensures a co-equal branch of government providing residents across Monroe County greater transparency and oversight on how their tax dollars are spent. The County Executive respects and supports this legislation."
