Erie County comptroller accuses Erie County executive of COVID-19 guideline double standard

Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw is once again pointing fingers at Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz when it comes to following the state’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Mychajliw took to social media on Monday, and shared a video he said he received from a whistle-blower of Poloncarz leaving Northtown Center ice rink in Amherst with a bag and hockey stick in hand on December 27.

Ali Touhey: why does the video matter?
Mychajliw: I think it’s the hypocrisy of shutting down Holiday Twin Rinks, of not letting children play youth sports, and yet he and his so called friends or mates are allowed to get together on Sundays and scrimmage or play hockey.

Earlier this month, The Erie County Department of Health issued a close order to Holiday Twin Rinks on Broadway in Cheektowaga after a public health sanitarian witnessed a hockey scrimmage.

According to the state's sports COVID-19 guidelines, scrimmages or games are not allowed in high risk sports, including ice hockey.

Mychajliw also released video taken November 15 from Northtown’s “Live Barn” camera which appears to show adults scrimmaging on the ice.

Touhey: Why is that video relevant to your point?
Mychajliw: That behavior, it appears as though that’s why Holiday Twin Rinks was shutdown a little over a week ago. So, one rink is shutdown, yet the County Executive can engage in scrimmages or play on Sundays and there’s a different set of rules for them.

Poloncarz took to Twitter to address Mychajliw’s accusation tweeting “for the record, and in regards to the below tweet from the comptroller, I didn't play hockey with my usual mates. I got on the ice about an half-hour before they did to skate and shoot by myself and then left. Nothing wrong with that, though being followed is a bit creepy.”