NEW YORK, NY July 18, 2005 —Democratic Councilmember Tony Avella is making an unusual public call for Council Speaker Gifford miller to refund the city 1.6 million dollars for a campaign-style mailing sent on the taxpayer's dime. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports.

REPORTER: Avella stops short of accusing miller of breaking the law by spending 1.6 million dollrs on five campaign-style brochures that hit mailboxes in mid June. But the councilmember from queens says Millers campaign should pay for the mailings "in the interest of good government." Miller says he did nothing wrong.

MILLER: We were trying to bring pressure on the mayor to negotiate a good 50 billion dollar budget we did it we complied with the law that i strenthened.

REPORTER: Miller wouldn't answer questions about whether he personally authorized the expenditure. Miller recently cut funds for Avella's distict after the two clashed over the city's solid waste plan. For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.