“There’s a major conflict of interest,” Legislator Timothy M. Kennedy (D-South Buffalo) said in the December 7 Buffalo News. “I personally felt in order to protect the integrity of the library board, it was important we didn’t have a high-ranking appointee serving.”
Library Trustee John B. Long sent a letter to the County Legislature urging them to to reject Fisher, saying the appointment “sets a very dangerous precedent toward usurping the independence and policymaking process of this and future library boards,” the News reported December 6. Long noted that Fisher is “a longtime adviser and confidant of the county executive. By all accounts, he has been the main architect of the fiscal and budgetary policies that have brought this county to its current desperate condition.”
Fisher told the News his rejection was politically motivated. “Specifically,” he said, “I think there’s a campaign to prevent this county executive from succeeding.” Fisher added that he would ask Giambra to resubmit his name to the new County Legislature next year.
The full legislature will meet December 15, at which time it could reverse the panel’s decision.
Posted December 9, 2005.