North Tonawanda Council wants ‘thorough review’ of mayor’s conduct

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The North Tonawanda Common Council requested a “thorough review” of Mayor Austin Tylec’s conduct on Saturday. Tylec responded Saturday night by characterizing the request as “politically motivated.”

It’s the latest development in a series of events between Tylec and the council, which stems from Tylec sending two police officers to a business to question a resident about a spoof Facebook page that was critical of the elected leader.

Impostor Facebook page ignites controversy in North Tonawanda

The Facebook page, which Tylec said existed for two years and continued to confuse residents while causing complaints, has since disappeared. He said the page posted false information and egregious statements.

North Tonawanda Police Chief Keith Glass and Tylec confirmed that police visited local furniture store Restful Sleepin’ to talk to Jacob Quinn, a resident who Tylec said was an “antagonist.” Glass on Monday defended the response as “standard investigative police work” and said Tylec did not get preferential treatment. Glass also said the district attorney’s office advised that more investigation into the case was warranted.

Quinn denied being involved with the Facebook page and said Tylec has “targeted” him “for years” after circulating a photograph that depicted the mayor as Adolph Hitler. Tylec said the picture was a fake.

Quinn accused the mayor of abusing his power and weaponizing the police department for his benefit. Tylec apologized at a board meeting Tuesday night for sending the officers to the business to question Quinn.

“Irrespective of the Mayor’s apology about this situation, as the city’s legislative branch, we
request that the City Attorney’s Office conduct a thorough review of the Mayor’s conduct in
this matter,” the council said Saturday in a letter addressed to City Attorney Edward A. Zebulske. “We are particularly concerned about any civil liability and ask for an assessment of any potential litigation costs to taxpayers.”

“The recent request by the Common Council for the City Attorney to investigate allegations that I used my elected position to target an individual is completely false, fabricated, and unfounded,” Tylec said in a statement Saturday night.

Tylec said that after Quinn learned that investigators wanted to talk to him, he “voluntarily reached out to the police and invited him to his workplace for the discussion.”

Quinn had requested that city officials launch an investigation, which they at first did not commit to during Tuesday’s meeting. The council said that it is “deeply alarmed by the allegations.”

Mayor apologizes for sending cops to question resident at work regarding parody page

“The Common Council is greatly disturbed by the possibility that taxpayer-funded resources
were used to suppress political speech at the direction of an elected official,” the council said. “We strongly condemn any actions that infringe upon citizens’ constitutionally protected right to free speech. Such behavior represents a serious violation of public trust.”

The council said it will continue to monitor the situation and “ensure it is handled appropriately.”

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Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.

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