For Republican mayoral candidate Sergio Rodriguez, a non-appearance Tuesday night by Mayor Byron Brown gave him an undisturbed chance to pitch his message at the Judges Row Block Club.
The block club invited the two mayoral candidates to last night's annual meeting in St. Michael and All Angels Church in the city's northeast corner.
The club gave the GOP candidate a lot of time to talk and then take questions on his views.
Rodriguez said the issues are still schools, crime and jobs. He also wants a residency requirement for cops to make them a part of the city, its problems and its tax base.
"We need police officers living in our city," Rodriguez told the audience.
"It works in Williamsville, Amherst, Hamburg, they have residency requirements. Why can't we?"
Rodriguez continues his push for the mayor to take over the school system, citing major improvements in results in New York City and Yonkers where the mayor controls the school system.
If elected, he says Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda would be gone because he doesn't have an urgency to do something about crime and violence problems.
