Political opponents of Democrat Mayor Lawrence V. Soos wanted progress stalled on a proposed Walmart Supercenter in order to harm the mayor's chances for re-election, according to an outgoing Republican lawmaker.

"I was being asked to delay that process," said Alderman Brett M. Sommer, after he was asked if State Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, and Niagara County Republican Committee Chairman Henry J. Wojtaszek had made that request of him.

Sommer would not name the individuals who asked him "to change [his] position on Walmart," or discuss other details of the conversation, though he did not deny involvement by Maziarz or Wojtaszek.

The accusations arose publicly for the first time when Common Council candidate Dennis J. Barberio questioned Sommer Tuesday night during the public comment portion of this week's council meeting.

Barberio, a former Republican who is running as a Democrat for an at-large spot on the council, asked Sommer if it was true what he heard him saying this past summer during a previous conversation.

Sommer declined to provide more details to The Buffalo News today, except to say that he took no steps to delay a project he supports.

"No matter what somebody told me," he said, "if I believe in something, I'm just going to plow ahead."

Earlier this month, the Common Council unanimously voted to give the final necessary approvals to allow a Walmart store to be built on the site of the former Melody Fair and Bluebird Bus garage, at Niagara Falls Boulevard and Erie Avenue. Its decision followed approval from the city Planning Commission in actions last month and this month.

Sommer, who stepped down as council president in late August and is not running for re-election, said he is not looking to hurt the campaigns of any Republican candidates through any statement he makes.

Soos -- a Democrat who has strongly supported the Walmart project from the time it was announced in the fall of 2006 -- is running against City Clerk-Treasurer Robert G. Ortt, the GOP candidate, in the Nov. 3 election.

"It's always been a feeling of mine that they've been trying to stall that project," Soos said today.

Wojtaszek told The Buffalo News such a conversation with Sommer never took place.

"Brett is bitter, I believe, because he's not going to be running as an endorsed candidate," Wojtaszek said.

Maziarz did not return a call for comment.

Sommer countered Wojtaszek's claim by saying he already had an uncertain future in politics -- his wife didn't want him to run for elected office four years ago, and he had been undecided on whether or not to run for re-election this time for about two years.

He said he's not bitter because he didn't want to run again; he was merely asked a question and he answered it. He also plans to vote for Ortt, and isn't supporting Soos in the election, he said.

"I should have known that some of these people are only your friends for political reasons," Sommer said today. "They act like your friends until they don't need you anymore."