By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
On July 7, 2008, when Tony LaValle was first sworn in as Liverpool’s village justice, one of the dignitaries attending the ceremony at the Village Hall was Salina Town Judge Andy Piraino.
Now LaValle plans to challenge Piraino when the longtime Salina jurist runs for his sixth four-year term in November.
Although both judges are Republicans, they will face off in the Democratic primary on Sept. 12.
When he ran in 2009, Piraino was cross-endorsed by the Democrats, but in 2013 that party nominated attorney Aaron Arnold to oppose him. Piraino, who first took office in 1994, easily survived Arnold’s challenge by drawing 58.8 percent of votes cast.
Salina Town Democratic Chairman Chris Shepherd pointed out that LaValle, in his first campaign for village justice in 2008, LaValle ran not as a Republican but as an independent on his own “Residents’ Party” line. He defeated Republican candidate George Alessio by a vote of 247-225.
Now LaValle’s poised to run for a town judgeship.
“Judge LaValle interviewed with the [town] Democratic Committee at the end of May,” Shepherd said. “We felt very comfortable with his experience in village court and his significant professional accomplishments. We’re helping him obtain a spot on the ballot as our endorsed candidate.”
Earlier this month, Democratic committeeman Mark Spadafore, a local union leader who lives in Liverpool, joined LaValle going door-to-door through the village to gather signatures on a petition to secure a line on the September primary ballot.
Meanwhile, Piraino also circulated petitions, according to Salina Town GOP Chairman Bill Tassone. “Andy is a very popular guy, and one of the best judges in the county, so he’s always had plenty of Democrats who support him,” Tassone said. “He collected 460 signatures, which I understand was about 80 more than LaValle collected.”
The incumbent Piraino has already secured three ballot lines for the Nov. 7 election — Republican, Conservative and independent. He earns a salary of $35,918, according to SeeThroughNY.com. LaValle earns about $14,000 as village judge.
Shepherd acknowledged the irony of two Republicans facing off in a Democratic primary. “It would be unusual for a Democratic primary to include two registered Republicans,” he said, “but that is possible and I’m sure it has happened before elsewhere.”
Tassone admitted he is troubled by LaValle’s effort to challenge fellow-Republican Piraino. “It’s sad,” he said, “because we’ve all been friends for 30 years, so I’m not happy about it. It bothers me.”
As town GOP chairman for 20 years, Tassone recalled working on LaValle’s behalf during his 2008 campaign against Alessio and on his subsequent re-elections, in which he ran unopposed.
“And Andy Piraino sat on the Republican committee for 15 years before he became town judge, and he has always worked hard to support other Republican candidates, including Tony LaValle,” Tassone said.
Shepherd pointed out that the state Judicial Commission had reprimanded Piraino in 2011 for overcharging hundreds of motorists on traffic violations.
“As was the case four years ago, we remain very concerned by that judicial reprimand,” Shepherd said.
Tassone said Piraino showed character by openly admitted his mistake. “Andy handles thousands of traffic cases,” Tassone said, “and he’s not the only judge who made human mistakes because of an overwhelming caseload.”
Salina Republicans will work hard to re-elect Piraino, the party chairman said. “We have 60 committee people and every one of them is raring to go on this campaign.”
Last year, LaValle waged a successful grass-roots effort to retain the Liverpool Village Court — and his job as village justice — after the Liverpool Board of Trustees voted 3-1 on April 14 to abolish the court and consolidate it with Salina Town Court. After hundreds of villagers signed petitions which LaValle circulated calling for a referendum, at the June 21 village election voters overwhelmingly overturned the trustees’ resolution to consolidate courts with Salina, 370 to 138.
