BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Thursday, the New York State Inspector General released a report detailing how leaders at different levels of government bypassed restrictions on government license plates.
Among the evidence cited, the IG's office used the Hamburg highway superintendent's "questionable" use of a town vehicle as an example of the importance of the report.
Essentially, the report identified that government officials took advantage of the lack of oversight from the DMV on government plates, allowing them to avoid having plates that identify the government entity the vehicle is associated with, which is a state requirement.
The IG's office points out that having these plates are important so officials can be held accountable for their use of taxpayer-funded vehicles. While the report does not name Hamburg Highway Superintendent Ted Casey, a spokesperson for the IG's office confirmed the reference on page two was to the local highway superintendent.
The spokesperson added that the recommendations of the report do not pertain to issues in Western New York, but the use of this situation was just an example of the importance of making sure government plates are attached to government vehicles.
2 On Your Side reported on the matter in December 2019, when Casey was suspended from using the town's vehicle after allegedly using it to drive to Philadelphia, and ticketed for running red light, The vehicle was was also spotted at a local movie theater.
Town officials had said at the time that this was a violation of policy. Town vehicles must only be used for town business, during business hours.
Casey had stated that he was in Philadelphia for an emergency involving his daughter. 2 On Your Side's Michael Wooten had investigated the video footage of the vehicle in Philly in July 2018.
The town had decided to suspend Casey's vehicle for 60 days, as they wanted to send a message about following the rules, but not take away the vehicle forever.
The IG's report went into further detail, saying that the vehicle had also been seen at a golf course, restaurant, and a state park during a highway superintendent's party.
Here's how the IG's office described the incident in the report:
"For example, in January 2020, the editorial board of a Buffalo newspaper reported on a western New York highway superintendent whose questionable use of a town-owned vehicle had come to its attention. According to the editorial, the highway superintendent had used the townowned vehicle “after hours” and on weekends and the vehicle, which bears license plates identifying the town, had been observed by members of the public at a theater complex, golf course, restaurant, and a State park during a highway superintendent’s party. Following one such observation, the town board voted to bar the highway superintendent from using the town vehicle for 60 days. But for the license plates, which identify the political subdivision employing the vehicle’s operator, it is likely the highway superintendent’s possible wrongdoing would have gone unobserved."
Casey has previously faced a vote of "no confidence" from the Town of Hamburg Highway Department Union employees in the year following the Philly incident. The union spokesperson did not cite the incident but said only that it was due to "his recent unethical and deceitful behavior."
