Hamburg First has been digging for information on the Big Tree Fire Department for a while now. Up till now our unofficial requests have been met with stony silence. I now have had some information fall into my lap and what little I have found out is astounding. Are you ready? I hope you’re sitting down.
Eight years ago the Big Tree Volunteer Fire Department (BTVFD) spent more than 5 hundred thousand dollars to build the small fire house on Big Tree Rd. next to the Frontier High School. Six years ago they spent two hundred fifty thousand dollars to fix the roof on the South Park Fire Hall. Now the BTVFD has spent three hundred fifteen thousand dollars to purchase 13 – 18 acres of property on the corner of Bristol and Big Tree Rd.
Officials who have inquired into this purchase have asked what is the reasoning for it. They have also been met with stony silence. Insiders are reporting that the BTVFD is intending to build a huge extravagant fire hall on that corner for more than 3 million dollars and then close down the South Park Fire Hall ( station #1) and the one next to the high school ( station #2).
It is also being reported that the previous owner of the property is Thomas Brown and he is a relative to current member and former BTVFD President Robert Brown. This begs the question; is this a conflict of interest involving public money and public trust?
More importantly is the question; “where is the money coming from”? I’m told from sources that want to remain anonymous that the BTVFD has requested the largest tax increase in the history of that department to pay for this extravagant fire hall. I know for a fact that past BTVFD President Ray Pawlowski has asked, if not begged, the current town board for investigations into the financing of that department but has been ignored by the Democratic Majority. Ray has also asked for a state audit of all the financing from that hall but that has also been ignored. I know this because I watched him ask the town board on several occasions only to be put off during those public meetings.
So now that the Democrats are out, will Steven Walters, Tom Best and Kevin Smardz order that audit and will they look into where the fire hall is getting all this money from? Stay tuned!
Can I ask where your info is from?
While they are at it, the new town board should look into Ray Pawlowski’s records regarding the BTVFD and the allegations made against him. Big Tree Volunteer Fire Dept. v. Ray Pawlowski and Amy McKnight. Index No. I 2002001273. FOIL those records, Ford, my man.
Richard, the reason Ray has asked for the audits is to clear his and Amy’s name. No Anonymous, I will not tell you my sources.
The Big Tree Volunteers answer well over 1000 calls a year did you forget that? These men and women dont get paid for their time and they certainly dont get paid to put up with your crap. Not to mention they are all tax payers too supporting a very necessary cause. I am behind our volunteers 100 % if they need to improve upon their facilities and their operations they should. Supporting them is the least we can do. Do you realize how much money it would cost the town to run a paid fire department? The volunteers have not let us down in the past and I highly doubt they will let their community down in the future.
It’s all about the money and how much they can extract from your pocket. The Firefighters have everything they need to do the job right now. Why waist more money so they can have a better place to go get drunk. It’s nothing more than the public providing a private social club for the members.
Station #2 has been around a lot longer than eight years. More like 20 yrs. Not a big deal but it makes me question your credibility when you get simple facts wrong and this isn’t the first time.
You are a coward and you have been proven wrong. You are only here to cause trouble. Get a life. If you dont like the way The town of Hamburg fire companies spend money (as you refer to it) “getting Drunk” then go live somewhere else. Or better yet why dont you join your local fire company and have a say at how the money is spent? The men and women of the fire service have every right to enjoy an alcoholic beverage on their own time if they choose to it is their right as a free American just like all of the other “drunks” out there. And I have never seen a drunk “firefighter”. If you dont have the proof to back your mouth then you should keep it shut.
If you’re right about when it was built then I apologize. I was given that info from a former president of that fire hall. The issue still stands. WHY SPEND MORE MONEY FOR SOMETHING THEY ALREADY HAVE?
Concerned if you want me to take you seriously then post who you are and list your e-mail address. You are the coward who hides behind the vail of secrecy. We are looking for constructive comments, not your rambling degenerative hate posts. Get your own life! By the way have you ever heard of “Freedom of Speach”? I will say what I want and if you don’t like it don’t come to this site DUMB ASS!
Hey Ford, why don’t you get the facts straight?
First – the station next to frontier school has been around for about 17 years now. Not 8!
Second- Ray Pawlowski has NEVER been the president of the BTVFC
He is a PAST chief!
Third- it the BTVFC not BTVFD (fire Company, incorporated not department)
Forth- What officials have asked questions and how do you know what the answers have been?
Fifth- how do you know they are planning a 3 million dollar hall ?
Sixth- If the previous property owner was related, what does it have to do with purchasing the property?
Maybe they got a better deal!
Seventh- my sources say that this is not the largest increase requested over the years, they have requested increases over the years ( even under Ray, why dont you ask him that ) but the town board just cut it and wouldn’t meet with them to discuss their request.
Let me guess, the wrong info you have posted has been provided to you by the master of BS and bullying- Ray!
Have you ever thought that maybe the closing of the stations and consolidating would better serve the taxpayers of this town by saving money? Like maybe by maintaining one hall instead of 2?, as well as many other possibilities !
As for requests from Ray for audits, why don’t you check into info given to you before you shoot your mouth off and bash our firefighters? Maybe there is another side of the story!
Have you ever requested a meeting with BTVFC to ask such questions! I doubt it, you sound just like tellitlikeitisnt!
I’m sure BTVFC would be willing to sit down with the town officials (that you claim are asking questions and getting no answers) and explain the purchase of this property.
By the way, isn’t the Brown guy that you say had a shady deal with the BTVFC dead?
Who was the land actually purchased from Ford? Post the facts not the BS twisted crap that you think will turn the taxpayers against BT! and certainly not the one sided BS that Ray feeds you!
Check you facts from the former president (chief) if he is lying about that, what else is he lying about ?
Remember, there are always 2 sides to every story! Get both sides before you post this crap!
Ray Pawlowski isn’t my source. All I meant by naming him was that he has begged for audits of that fire company. Otherwise thanks for the comments. I disagree with some of what you have said but at least you said it politily unlike concerned above.
well tell me what you disagree with and I will compare my sources with your sources.
no comments on the rest ?
Buffalo News Business section November 26th.
• Vacant Land/Big Tree Road, Thomas F. Brown to Big Tree Volunteer Firemans Company Inc., $315,000.
Thomas F Brown has been dead for aprox a year now, I think the property was left in his will to his girlfriend ?
I know this for a fact but dont know how to prove it at this point. will work on this .
comments on the rest
BS, this is one point proof positive above, another is Ray has begged for the audits only to be stone walled. I never said Ray was the source and I will not reveal my sources. I talk to a lot of people in politics in this town and they are tired of these kind of back room deals with no public input. It’s our tax dollars paying for this purchase unless the fire company can prove otherwise. That would be revealed with an audit. BS, I have no quarrel with you or your opinions but don’t try and discredit me unless you know for a fact I’m wrong. You just made yourself look like a fool the info was posted in the Buffalo News.
And please explain how I made myself look like a fool.
All your comments about the Ray requests are one sided.
I have corrected you on my sources proving you wrong on many points
see above
I did not ask you to reveal your sources, they just appear to be coming from Ray.
How do you know that the BTVFC is not thinking of the taxpayers with this purchase and why do you think it is a back door deal ?
If the acreage is correct then the property was bought for some where between 17K and 25K per acre. Is that appropriate for undeveloped land on that corner? I think it’s a bit high.
It’s a back room deal because this was never brought in front of the Town Board, at least not that I know of. If you go http://www.erie.gov/hamburg/pdfs/2008budget.pdf you can see the proposed increase in taxes for the Department. It will show you they want a 9.2% tax increase. That is outrageous! It’s on Internet page 78 or document page 69. When was the last time any government organization received a 9.2% increase without specific public approval. this was buried in the budget and crammed down our throats. I’m a bit pissed off over it since I live in that fire district.
The price works out to be about 18 grand an acre, not bad considering an acre of land around this area is going for 100 to 150,000 an acre.
I looked at the property a year or so ago and they were asking much more for the property. As of late this year, there were others interested in this land and she wouldnt take the offers !
I have heard that the previous ower was offered much more for the land.
Why does the sale need to be brought in front of the town board ?
do all fire departments go in front of the board when they purchase a new fire engine or ladder truck ranging between 350,000 to 750,000 ? I dont think so.
Did the town board speak to BTVFC in regards to this budget increase?
What has been the tax increase over the past 10 years in BT’s district ?
I know that muine has gone down some years and only gone up 1 to 2 % in others.
Did you know that a FD can go in and request no increase at all and the fire tax rate can still go up?
I will check out the budget you posted, thanks , I didnt know it was posted on line.
I was at the budget meeting and remember BT asking for a 6.5 % increase not 9.2 %
I also remember BT asking for about the same last year to try to play catch up for previous years of no increase and they go something like 2%
a quick review of the budget. It appears that for a fire company that always runs in the top 2 for call volume, they are in the botton 2 for per thousand ?
In other words, it would appear that, even with the increase, BTVFC seems to have kept their line.
I don’t believe that an acre of land is selling for 100k or more in Hamburg, that’s a huge exaggeration. I believe undeveloped land is selling for more like 10k – 15k an acre. The rest of your comments are trying to justify the tax increase and I don’t agree with any increase in taxes right now. How many calls they answer shouldn’t dictate the amount of money they get. Remember this is a volunteer company and if they don’t want to go they don’t go. This has caused many of our residents to have to pay fees for ambulance services that could have been avoided if the BTVFD showed up for the call and did not. Right now they have all the buildings and equipment they need, their is no need to build another fire hall and purchasing 18 acres of land is an indicator that is exactly what they are planning. Why else would they need so much land not attached to any of their current properties?
Now I have seen it all Ford-you have become a cheerleader for Ray Pawlowski. Just remember he bites the hand that feeds him. Judy Smith-Krautsack was like a mother to Ray. She loved him like a son and protected him when the town board was going to fire him for the bizare accident he had on Big Tree Rd that had a St. Francis student watch his mother die a horrible death. this accident occured with a town of Hamburg vehicle. Judy Krautsack and Dick Smith defended Ray. He was given a second chance. When Judy asked Ray for help he turned his back on her. He was removed from Big Tree for a reason. Even you Ford should be able to see through his facade. Don’t be fooled.
I’m not here defending Ray, he can do that himself. I have only known Ray for about 6-8 months but he seems OK to me. He has kept his word to me every time and I support those who tell me the truth even if it’s not what I want to hear. I’ve been told that the lawsuit against Ray from the BTVFD has been to Appelate Court twice and Ray has won both times. If anyone wants to discuss Ray and the other side of the BTVFD fiasco I will start a new article later tonight for you. I wasn’t around during all that nastiness but I’m quite interested to hear all sides on this.
POST THE FACTS !!!!
get your story straight !
Ray is suing BT
NOT BT suing Ray !
and yes, it is Irrelevant !
if that part isnt right, what else have you mistakenly posted ?
hay BS when are you going to get off your butt and say something constructive? ALL YOU do is bash, cry and expose your lack of any knowledge about anything. go back in the corner and play with your fire hose. you are an insult to every firefighter in this county, you claim to know so much but you never say anything, so if you dont like this ray guy tell all of us why he is such a bad person. i hope that you are not a member of that fire company that is buying up all that land to take off of the tax rolls for a bigger fire house so you can buy bigger fire trucks, but i have the feeling that you may be behind the entire project, a mess that it is. it sounds like something you would do ALL BS
BS time to POST THE FACTS! How much did Big Tree Fire Company pay Ray and Amy to drop their action against the Fire Company? So much to say in the past but when called on to POST THE FACTS, as YOU say, you are no where to be found.
How about $250 grand each and their firefighter pension and ALL of their attorney fee’s? Is that close to what it cost to make the problem go away? Is that how Big Tree Fire Department covers up their spending, blame someone else and when they are exposed with their pants down pay them off?
Any type of ruling like that would be public knowledge. As far as I know the suit is still in court.