Albion GOP passes on endorsing supervisor candidate

Todd Sargent, Richard Remley backed for Town Board

ALBION – The Albion Republican Committee interviewed two Town Board members, Matt Passarell and Jake Olles, for town supervisor and the committee decided against endorsing either of them.

The committee welcomes other candidates to come forward to interview for the position leading the town government, said Dawn Allen, the GOP chairwoman. Albion has until May 16 to make an endorsement for someone to run under the party line in November.

She wouldn’t talk about why the committee declined to endorse either Passarell or Olles. She did say the committee wants a candidate who can restore harmony in town hall among the full board and town employees.

The board has been split under Town Supervisor Dennis Stirk, with Olles and Dan Poprawski, who were all elected in November 2011, often siding with the supervisor.

Passarell and Tim Neilans, holdovers from when Judith Koehler was town supervisor, have been critical of the Stirk-led board for giving raises to the town clerk and town highway superintendent. The two also opposed hiring Robert Roberson as attorney for the town. Roberson represented Highway Superintendent Jed Standish in a lawsuit against the town when the Koehler-led board tried to make his position part-time.

Passarell is an Iraq War veteran and VFW commander, who works as quality supervisor for Baxter in Medina. Olles works as a correctional officer. Olles was elected previously under the Democrat Party line.

The committee made two endorsements during its meeting on Tuesday night. Richard Remley, the former owner of a printing company in Albion, was backed for a four-year term as town councilman. Remley also was co-leader of the fund-raising campaign for the new Hoag Library.

Todd Sargent, a village of Albion Department of Public Works employee, also was endorsed for a four-year term.