State Assemblyman Ron Castorina claims his primary opponent supports high-density affordable housing on the South Shore of Staten Island.
Castorina faces a challenge from Republican Janine Materna for the South Shore Assembly seat.
Castorina was joined by Staten Island City Councilman Joe Borelli on Saturday, who said Materna supported the precursor to the mayor's affordable housing plan. He pointed to a survey she did for the Central Labor Council a few years ago.
Borelli said Materna is "also touting some of those same unions this year," so he says the assumption is that her position hasn't changed.
Castorina said people in the community want to maintain the area as a place to raise families, and that such a development would be devastating to the South Shore.
"I firmly am against this and I just can't fathom how any candidate, a Republican candidate, purportedly would support such an outrageous, outrageous measure," Castorina said.
In a statement, Materna said, "Unlike my opponent, I'm a lifelong resident of the South Shore and am 100% AGAINST building affordable housing on the South Shore of Staten Island."
"Ron should be more concerned about his own 'housing issue,' considering the fact that his primary residence is located outside our district, rendering him ineligible to run for, or hold, this seat,'" Materna's statement continued.
"My support from labor does not mean that I support affordable housing within my community. Rather, it indicates my close affiliation with the hardworking middle class Staten Islanders I want to represent," the statement added.
In the statement, Materna said Castorina received a tax break to which he is not entitled.
According to city finance department records, Castorina received a $303 credit for a home he owns on Signs Road.
Rules state the credit is only applicable if the home is your primary residence.
Since Castorina currently calls a home in Richmond Valley his primary residence, he is ineligible for the state STAR credit.
"When I purchased the home from my parents in 2014, the Department of Finance was supposed to set the exemptions at zero, as they do with all properties when the deed was filed. They did not do so. I never applied for a STAR exemption upon this property," Castorina said.
Materna issued a statement at the time, calling the incident a serious issue.
"As an attorney, to simply claim ignorance or blame the city isn't good enough when the STAR tax exemption has been in effect for over 18 months for a house outside the 62nd Assembly district," Materna said.
The primary between Materna and Castorina is set for Sept. 13.