Cheektowaga, NY - We continue to ask the tough questions about Cheektowaga's new deputy highway superintendent. He happens to be a former town council member who was removed from office, years ago through the Erie County District Attorney.
We're talking about Charles Markel who left after he admitted to illegally filing for unemployment benefits without listing his $20,000 town council salary.
So how did he land this new gig and why should taxpayers pay his salary. 2 on Your Side's Ron Plants raised some of those points previously on the phone with Highway Superintendent Mark Wegner, but we were able to press him on camera directly Tuesday night at town hall. He had some unusual responses.
2 On Your Side asked first, Was the job posted sir?
Wegner replied: No, I don't have to post it. I could go to the zoo and get a gorilla and put him in that position.
Reporter: As assistant superintendent?
Wegner: Absolutely... the qualification...
Reporter: That's your answer to taxpayers...then...you could get a gorilla to do the job of assistant superintendent?
Wegner: Well...I don't know what you're asking...
Reporter: You just said it sir. You said I could get a gorilla to do the job?
Wegner: Ron...I get what you're saying...I get what you're saying...but he is qualified for the position and he's gettin it."
Then the discussion changed to politics. 2 on Your Side pointed out "You are a politician too...you're elected...you were the former chair of the Democratic party...a lotta people are saying this is just patronage...just patronage because he himself was a one- time politician with this town?
Wegner: OK
Reporter: Well do you have any response to that...
Wegner: I was a Democratic chairman...No. Who am I supposed to put in there?... someone I don't like."
Wegner says Markel was the only candidate he considered for the job.
Wegner says his previous deputy superintendent did a "phenomenal" job and was brought in from the food industry as a purchasing agent.
He also does not feel there is any public trust issue despite the guilty plea from Markel who was an elected member of the Town Council. Markel did pay $7,000 in restitution. Markel says "He's the only one that...you don't understand exactly what happened...I've listen to him and what he's said. He's gonna be working with the town with abandoned houses and everything...also with the highway."
When pressed further on the point of Markel's status as an elected official who admitted to a misdemeanor charge Wegner responded, "I'm gonna put somebody in that I trust. It was a misdemeanor. There's more problems on this Board than his misdemeanor."
That could be a reference to Councilman James Rogowski who was charged with criminal contempt and menacing charges following an alleged domestic violence incident in February. There are calls for Rogowski to step down, but so far he is committed to keeping his council seat and was present on Tuesday evening..
Wegner again maintains that Markel's experience as a pipefitter for three years with the Erie County Water Authority and his efforts to deal with the town's abandoned homes as a councilman qualifies him for the reported $85,000 job. And Wegner feels Markel will be able to fill in running the highway department when Wegner is away or on vacation.