Baldwin mayoral candidate Tom Whitney has filed an ethics complaint against his opponent, Stephanie Almagno, with the State Election Board. In his complaint, Whitney alleges the city gave preferential treatment to the sitting councilwoman and mayoral candidate during Baldwin’s Fall Festival held on Saturday, October 21.
Whitney’s complaint
Whitney claims candidate Almagno used the city-sponsored event and her position as an elected official “for campaign purposes.” In his complaint, he outlined actions he says the city and Almagno engaged in that called into question the city’s neutrality in the race.
“The city is to be unbiased in the upcoming mayoral election. Councilwoman/candidate Almagno’s action of placing campaign signs next to a city-owned backhoe and subsequently playing ‘pinata’ with children in attendance is unethical and completely removes the unbiased nature of a city-sponsored event and has resulted in many believing the city endorses her for mayor,” Whitney’s complaint states.
It goes on to say, “With the election just over two weeks away, I am requesting swift and immediate action on the part of the State Elections Commission.”
Whitney included a copy of the vendor list and festival map with his complaint. He circled the location near the main entrance where her booth was located.
“In addition, like myself, Stephanie had a campaign booth at the festival; however, it would appear that she was given preferential treatment due to not being listed on the vendor list.”
According to Whitney, Almagno’s booth was placed within feet of the entrance to the farmers market and was unobstructed. Whereas Whitney’s booth was placed on the backside of the vendor’s area, obscured by surrounding vendors.
“To be honest, it felt less like a Fall Festival and more like a city-sponsored campaign event,” he says.
Almagno’s Response
Now Habersham contacted Almagno about the complaint. Almango denies being a vendor or receiving preferential treatment, “I was not a vendor; therefore, I was not given preferential treatment in vendor placement.”
Almagno admitted to having “canvassers” at the event greeting festival goers. She admits that she had signs in and around the festival area, just as Whitney did.
She explained that her husband paid for the pinatas, an event that the city’s Events Committee decided to offer.
“My husband personally paid for all three pinatas, the candy to fill them, and the stick to break them (over $150 to a local business). The pinata was placed in the area for kids’ games. I was not a part of the decision-making for location layout,” she tells Now Habersham.
Almagno says her campaign also paid for the chili cook-off hosted by the city.
“The committee also wanted to offer the chili cook-off again. Citizens would earn bragging rights and receive a wooden spoon for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. And because sponsorships were tight and the spoons, decorations, and tableware hadn’t yet been ordered, my campaign sponsored them,” she says.
Almagno stated that she was not there to campaign but rather, to work as a volunteer.
“As a member of the city’s Events Committee and event volunteer, I wore a Baldwin Fall Festival shirt. I participated in the setup of the event, worked all day through the fireworks in the evening, and I was back at the park with the clean-up crew on Sunday morning.”
Almagno calls Whitney’s description of events a “mischaracterization” and makes clear that the two have not spoken about it.
“I wish Mr. Whitney had come to me directly,” she tells Now Habersham.
Almagno says she spent her time Saturday “serving festival attendees and enhancing festival participants’ experiences by ensuring we continued the annual chili cook-off and offering multiple pinatas that were definitely a hit with the children. I saw a community need, and I filled it.”
She adds, “Mr. Whitney chose to have a vendor booth for his campaign; his fee was waived, and his table was placed appropriately among the vendors.”
Whitney questioned the mischaracterization due to the signs that were placed around a booth and a piece of city equipment.
Whitney has not heard back from the State Election Board.
