TOWN OF WAPPINGER – A campaign mailing from Bill Spinelli, the chairman of the Hughsonville Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners, has drawn criticism from his opponent, Vincent Galvin, in advance of tonight’s election.
Spinelli’s mailer was sent by first-class mail to voters with a return address of a PO box registered to the Hughsonville Fire Department. Galvin told Mid-Hudson News that the use of the address unduly influences the voters. “You shouldn’t use your position as district commissioner to influence voters by sending a mailer out using the district’s return address. It makes it seem that the district is endorsing my opponent.”
Spinelli, who is seeking re-election to the board, claims that the address labels were applied by a local print shop that printed the mailings. He designed the mailer online and took the proof to the print shop for printing and mailing. “I was in Florida for my son’s graduation when the mailing went out this week,” the commissioner said. “The address label is non-descriptive, doesn’t reference the fire department, and does not say he’s endorsed by the district.”
Mr. Spinelli told Mid-Hudson News that the proof he submitted to the print shop did not have a return address on it and it appears that the printer applied labels using the return address of “HFD” and the PO box.”This was a simple mistake that some people have chosen to make more of it than it actually is.”
The polls are open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. tonight at the Hughsonville Fire Department at 88 Old Hopewell Road, in Wappingers Falls. Voters will have the chance to choose between Vincent Galvin and William Spinelli. There are no other seats up for election in the district.
