Monroe County Legislator Mark Muoio has released more information about his recent resignation.
The 21st district legislator put out a statement Monday night saying that he submitted his resignation to the President of the Monroe County Legislature on August 30, after a number of press releases and news stories questioned his residency in the 21st district and noted that he and his wife currently own two houses in the City of Rochester. Muoio said that, "as public officials our actions, both official and personal, should be above reproach."
Muoio says that he always intended to resign his position when he transferred his house on Wisconsin Street to a new owner. He says he is resigning now because he understands the objections that people in the community have, and Muoio says that the 21st district should have a new legislator seated as soon as possible.
Muoio goes on to say that county lawmakers received paychecks on August 16 and August 30 and that he will be donating the amount of those paychecks to Foodlink and the House of Mercy, saying that at a time when cuts to SNAP benefits and DHS (Department of Human Services) threaten “the well-being of our friends and neighbors” he hopes that future leadership in Monroe County “will honor such issues.”
The controversy over Muoio’s residency came up last Friday when the Chairman of the Monroe County Republican Committee, Bill Napier, called on Muoio to resign because of the questions about his residency.
The local GOP is also calling on the Monroe County Democratic Committee to recommend that Rachel Barnhart, who won a Democratic primary in June for that seat, to fill the vacancy (which would run until the end of this year).
A vacancy on the county legislature must be filled by someone from the same party as the person who previously occupied the seat.
A statement from Monroe County Democratic Chairwoman Brittaney Wells last week said that if a vacancy becomes available, the appropriate Democratic committee members will be involved in the process. But Wells says she won’t dictate who should fill the vacancy.
Wells did say that Barnhart is the Democratic candidate in November and she is confident she will win on Election Day.
Napier said last week that if the County Democratic Committee fails to recommend Barnhart for the vacancy, the Republican Majority on the county legislature will “listen to the will of the voters” in that district and appoint Barnhart.
