Looming Issues For Grand Island, NY

In many ways, our relatively tranquil Island is a sanctuary that cushions us from many of the pressures of the broader, more hectic and bustling, American society that we are embedded within. However, our lifestyle and our budget here is significantly impacted by our location within Erie County, New York State, and our 'indivisible' Nation.

With everything that has transpired across America, and indeed throughout the entire world, over the last few months, our nation has entered a period of accruing huge and overbearing debt. Here, like everywhere else it seems to many that we can only look forward to the imposition of higher taxes, definitiely on our paychecks and our purchases, and most probably also on our property.

I sincerely believe that our future does not have to be so bleak. I propose that it is possible to keep the residential tax rate level on Grand Island, even when costs are going up.  We need to institute changes, adopt a fiscally responsible program, and work together to make things happen. Please consider my tax proposals and economic development proposals in more depth, and see if it all makes sense to you.

If it does make sense then I am asking for Your help - Please help me work for the necessary changes by giving me Your Vote on November 3^rd!  More Ways To Help

Issue #1 - Residential Taxes On Grand Island

We all want our residential taxes to be as low as possible, and that will be a prime focus of mine, all the while being aware of the need to balance that issue with the overall level of services that are provided to our citizens. With the Right Approach, our infrastructure can be improved and maintained correctly. Our recreational facilities can be improved and expanded to provide increased community activity opportunities for both young and old alike.

So what does the Right Approach look like? I propose that we can initiate significant savings through various methods, including:

• Purchase items in quantity with partners such as the school district and /or other local government agencies
• Increase efficiencies in our operations
• Institute a program that rewards our Town Employees for introducing viable ideas that can result in cost savings – and then actually implement those ideas within a reasonable timescale
• Increase our efforts to locate environmentally-friendly good-neighbor businesses on Grand Island which will increase our tax base - More On Economic Development
• Pursue public/private partnerships
• Aggressively seek all possible grant monies from various levels of government

In short - Our lifestyle can be improved and our taxes can be minimized.

Issue #2 - Economic Development On Grand Island

Economic Development on Grand Island, is a subject that we must tackle now in order to go forward into a brighter future. This will not be easy - there are many who genuinely consider that economic development can only be a bad thing.

Opponents of economic development have expressed various concerns including; environmental, zoning and adjacent land-value, and "not in my backyard". I believe that everyone would agree that Grand Island's suburban / rural nature is an important feature of our unique lifestyle that we need to retain, but I also believe that can be accomplished while still providing for economic growth.

Proponents of economic development realize that the more we can increase our tax base, the lower the tax rate will be, thereby keeping individual homeowner taxes down. I propose that with the right focus, we can actively attract community-friendly businesses to Grand Island which will help us minimize our taxes with essentially no negative downside. However, to be successful we will need to be much more energetic in our efforts and we will need to focus in the right areas.

With the the newly revitalized Green Industry showing a definite interest in locating in WNY, Grand Island can certainly be promoted as a premier location and the ideal place to be.

We should judge our efforts by our results - and our recent record in seeking and stimulating the right kind of economic development cannot be highly applauded. Our relatively few successes seem to have occurred by happenstance rather than the results of any grand plan. I believe that it is time to review both our roadmap and our progress, and work together to generate a more realistic and succesful approach to the Right Type of Development. A few issues in particular come immediately to mind:

• The ex-Dunlop building on Long Road has been an inactive vacant eyesore, and a safety hazard in our community, for far too long. The ECIDA approved a grant to develop the site in 2006 but the issue remains unresolved. We need to actively and enthusiastically explore all proper avenues to rebuild the site to a productive, tax paying property.
• The Mobil gas station in the middle of the Island is in the same category. It needs to either be secured, made safe and visibly acceptable, or we need to get a business to take over the property and turn it into something that would fit that parcel.
• We need to focus on the environmentally-friendly, light manufacturing sector, to lure relevant companies to the Island. We can offer an excellent location, with close proximity to the Interstate, Buffalo, and Canada, and these benefits should allow us to be very competitive in our search.

I am convinced that with the Right Type of Development we will be able to provide improved services and also reduce the tax burden on our citizens.

Issue # 3 - Reassessment (a question put to me from a resident)

I believe reassessment is a project the Town needs to take on.  It will be a difficult project taking probably 2 years.  We don't have an assessor anymore so we would have to contract out the service.  Estimates have been $250,000 - $500,000.  A municipality does get about $7.00 from the state per property but the estimated cost is $15 - $18 per property.  If we stay on 100% reassessment I believe the state pays $5.00 per property.  I think if reassessment is accomplished we need to stay on 100% in all following years. 

The following are links to pages that will give you more information regarding reassessment.

www.speakupwny.com/article_4021.shtml

www.speakupwny.com/article_4049.shtml

Reassessment will make the tax burden more fair for everyone!

Issue #4 - Countywide SEQRA (issue brought up at candidates night)

Like I promised, here is my answer to the question posed on candidates night that I said I would look into more closely.  From what I have been able to gather, I would think this might be a good idea.  Having said that, I would like to listen to a formal presentation so that I could hear "from the horses mouth" just what this proposal encompasses.  There have been presentations to the Town Board, but the Board has yet to discuss the issue.  Also, this may be "putting the cart before the horse" as we have not yet adopted a comprehensive plan update. 

 I Need Your Input - If You Have Questions, Or Concerns, Or Wish To Express Your Opinion About Any Issues Facing Our Grand Island Community - Please Contact Me