Democratic Greece town supervisor candidate Jim Leary accused the town on Friday of flouting state law in allowing reassessments of lakefront properties, as the board failed to hold a public hearing before its adoption.

The complaint is part of Monroe County Democrats' attempt to establish a pattern of inattention to detail in governance on the part of ruling Republicans; they lodged a similar complaint against the Republican majority of the Monroe County Legislature when it gave a pay raise for Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn in a roundabout fashion.

"It just comes down to public officials not following the processes they're supposed to," Monroe County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Jamie Romeo said. "This is the little stuff you're not supposed to have to worry about."

More:Cuomo touts Lake Ontario flood relief package

The law in question allows municipalities the option of lowering the taxes for one year on properties that were affected by March's flooding on Lake Ontario. Greece and every other lakefront town opted into the program; all of the lakefront school districts in Monroe County did not.

More generally, state law requires that any new local law be preceded by a public hearing. The agenda of the Aug. 15 meeting when the Town Board adopted the law shows no evidence of a public hearing, and the July meeting's minutes make no mention of one being scheduled.

"Bill Reilich’s lack of attention to this matter has jeopardized the assessment reductions that are allowed under the recently enacted state law," Leary said in a statement.

More:High winds, high water, lots of hot air: Facts and fiction about Lake Ontario's Plan 2014

More:Republicans win judicial appeal in Greece town justice case

In a statement of his own, Reilich defended the board's action as necessary and appropriate but did not directly address the issue of the public hearing.

"Because government actions may be taken to protect residents and property under a declared state of emergency, the Greece Town Board knew it would be in the best interest of those affected by the increased water levels to expeditiously adopt the local (law)," he wrote.

Other towns appear to have followed the procedure better. Parma, Irondequoit and Webster all had public hearings. The town of Hamlin, however, does not appear to have held a hearing before adopting the law Aug. 14. Neither the Hamlin supervisor nor the town clerk were available Friday for comment.

JMURPHY7@Gannett.com