Rotterdam Town Board member John Mertz announced his candidacy as a Republican for the 105th Assembly District, which includes part of Schenectady County and all of Montgomery County.
The two-term town councilman is challenging incumbent Paul Tonko.
I am running for State Assembly because our current assemblyman, Paul Tonka, has made poor decisions when it comes to the hard working people of Schenectady and Montgomery counties, Mertz said in a press release. `I can no longer stand by and allow Mr. Tonko to vote consistently with the New York City political bosses and special interests that take our tax dollars.`
Mertz said he would focus on reducing the tax burden faced by families and improve the business climate by reducing government regulations.
`Since 1991, Tonko has voted to increase our taxes on 325 separate occasions, for a total of $23.5 billion in tax hikes,` Mertz said. `At the same time, his Assembly boss and Democratic Party Chairman Denny Farrell recently stated that tax cuts are not a priority for the Democratic party. Mr. Tonko and his Democratic colleagues need to wake up, they have their priorities all mixed up.`
Tonko spokesman Tom Lynch said Mertz’s remarks did not surprise him.
`This sounds like the same kind of campaign that Armando Tebano ran 10 years ago,` Lynch said. `And, as a Pataki administration appointee, Mr. Mertz should be familiar with the tax shift that plagued property owners in upstate New York for the last decade.`
Mertz is an attorney for the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform.
Tonko’s spokesman challenged Mertz to produce a list of the 325 votes that Mertz alleges Tonko made.
`The readers and constituents of Assemblyman Tonko know of his work and dedication for the constituents of the 105th Assembly District,` Lynch said.
Efforts to reach Mertz were unsuccessful.
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