Yesterday, divisive Erie County Comptroller and Hamburg Supervisor candidate Stefan Mychajliw released a statement touting a certificate for “Excellence in Accounting” from the Government Finance Officers Association. The participation trophy is given to hundreds of local governments per year, and cost Erie County taxpayers thousands of dollars according to the application fee schedule (https://www.gfoa.org/coa-program-fee-schedule). Mychajliw bought his office a participation trophy using taxpayer funds, then touted that award to deflect from accusations of mismanagement within the office he oversees. 

“It’s not surprising that snowflake Stefan Mychaliw would pay to have an organization give him a participation trophy,” said Hamburg Democratic Committee Chair, Terry MacKinnon. “For the so-called taxpayer watchdog to waste taxpayer money on self promotion and political grandstanding fits his narrative. He doesn’t show up to work, he relies on his patronage staff to qualify him for the ballot, and now we find out that rather than actually work to improve his office, he’s using taxpayer money to buy himself praise.” 

Last week, Investigative Post ranked Mychajliw’s office one of the worst government agencies in Western New York. Earlier this year, Mychajliw, who moved to Hamburg less than 4 years ago, came under fire after a Channel 7 investigative report revealed that he shows up to work 5 weekdays a month on average, even before the pandemic began. 

Endorsed Democrat Randy Hoak has never used taxpayer funds to buy himself an award.