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Fair Campaign Practices Committee Rules For Croton United

CROTON-On-HUDSON, N.Y. -- The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee has found that a mailer and Facebook statement issued by Croton-On-Hudson Democrats in the week before this month's elections were "unfair."

Gregory Schmidt

Gregory Schmidt

Photo Credit: crotonunited.org

The ruling, made public in a press release issued by the committee on Friday, came as a result of a complaint filed by Gregory Schmidt, Croton's village mayor.

According to the release, Schmidt alleged the village's Democrats were incorrect in stating that "Croton United’s Schmidt raised taxes by an average of more than 8 percent a year – a cumulative total of more than $6 million in additional taxes.”

The claims were accompanied by a chart.

According to the committee, Croton Democrats Paul Rolnick, Brian Pugh and Maria Trunzo Slippen were incorrect in making the claims.

The committee found that Schmidt "is just one of five votes on the village board, and cannot, himself, 'raise taxes.'"

Further, the committee ruled that "Schmidt voted against the budget in one of the four years when he was mayor," meaning the Democrats' calculation of "$6 million in additional taxes," was "faulty." 

The committee also found that the claim of "more than 8 percent a year" was "questionable" and would "not be how a typical voter would interpret that statement."

Schmidt, of the group Croton United, ultimately won the election despite the claims.

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