Three years ago a young man named Steven Walters stood up on a podium at the Union Rd Elementary School in the Village of Hamburg and was humiliated by then Supervisor Patric Hoak. Pat stood on stage with a gas mask on and mocked Walters over anything and every thing he said.
Walters tried to explain just how easy it would be to lower taxes, open up government and make the Town Council respond to issues raised by our community and tax payers. In response Hoak and his cronies laughed and heckled Steven Walters throughout his comments at the podium. Afterwards, many people took a walk down Union St. to the campaign headquarters of Walters and pledged their support.
No-one would have given Walters a chance at winning that election and even those closest to him were cautiously optimistic about his chances. There were those of us who spent hours upon hours and lots of our own gas money delivering campaign literature and I even spent the last 24 hours before the election doing just that. Why? Because of a huge sign in the window of his campaign headquarters, it said very plainly, 0% tax increase!
As we all know, Walters beat Hoak in a contest that wasn’t even close in the end. The first year in office was difficult at best for Supervisor Walters. He was over ruled at every opportunity and he even held a press conference declaring that the Democrats had mortgaged our future to the extent that it would cost us a 60% tax increase to get out of debt or we needed to cut spending significantly if we had the resolve to get out of debt right away. At the end of that political fight, Walters voted against a tax increase forced upon the town by the Democrats who refused to put spending in check and cut where services were duplicated.
By the second year Walters had successfully gained two seats on the Town Council and immediately consolidated village departments with town departments and gave the Town of Hamburg their first tax decrease in 30+ years. This year Supervisor Walters has been facing a difficult situation. Gas prices rising, the fall of the stock market and new political battles that will define his candidacy next year were all brewing at his doorstep. What to do? How does he appease those who want taxes lower, how to keep his promise of a 0% tax increases for a second year?
Well, we have just seen a man with a backbone this past Monday night. Under intense scrutiny about next years budget and pleas from town officials for more money to do pet projects instead of prioritizing and finding a way to do more with less, Walters stood his ground and said NO to the tax and spend policies of the prominent town democrats.
WALTERS HAS ONCE AGAIN STOOD AGAINST TAX INCREASES AND KEPT HIS PROMISE OF 0% TAX INCREASES FOR OUR TOWN TAX PAYERS!
It’s not easy for someone to stand against such policies with his political life on the line. The risk of losing a 70K a year job with benefits while having a wife and two young children to take care of. It would be very easy to just get along to go along. It would be simple to vote yes to raise taxes and keep all the democrats in this town on his side in the upcoming election, but he put his word and his integrity before his own benefit.
Supervisor Walters has told every Town Department Head to find a way to cut spending and do more with less. He has obviously told Highway Superintendent Jim Connolly enough is enough and he is going to get on-board or risk his own position next year in the elections. It’s no longer a secret that Highway Superintendent Jim Connolly isn’t happy and spoke out against Walters and his agenda.
As always, I am proud of my friend Supervisor Steven Walters along with Tom Best and Kevin Smardz. All of whom have stood consistently against tax increases.
I have also been told by a person in Town Hall (Not Supervisor Walters) that the Town Attorney has found a way to install contractual oversight clauses in every Town Volunteer Fire Company Contract. That has been a huge political issue about to blow up in Supervisor Walters face but he found a way to make everyone happy. I’m also told that every fire contract will be held at less than the requested tax increase. Some companies will get 0% and some as much as 2% but none will get the 3-5% they requested.
Here is the Buffalo News article on what Jim Connolly wants.
Hamburg roads chief calls budget insufficient
On the attack was Highway Superintendent Jim Connolly, insisting that the budget skimps on road clearing supplies as winter nears.
The battle flared Monday night in Town Hall, as officials argued over how to absorb sharply rising prices for asphalt, fuel and salt.
“These are not policy choices I’m describing,” Connolly said. “The [cost of] materials and equipment we use . . . have gone through the roof.”
Asphalt has doubled, and salt is up 30 percent from a year ago, he said, in addition to higher costs for fuel.
Walters fired back that the Highway Department, which receives an 8 percent increase in next year’s budget, needs to put off lower-priority work instead of hoisting a larger burden onto taxpayers.
Connolly’s spending request “would have meant a 10 percent increase in property taxes,” Walters said. “That kind of jump . . . would drive people out of this community; it would drive businesses out of this community.”
The Town Board meeting represented Round Two of the dispute. It began last week, when Connolly and 17 other highway officials from around Erie County held a news conference to warn that their salt barns could could be running low this winter. Walters bristled at that, calling it a scare tactic.
Towns around the county are struggling with the same squeeze as they work to pass their 2009 budgets by Nov. 20.
Hamburg’s Highway Department will receive $321,000 more next year under the proposed budget, Walters said. That comes on top of increases averaging $128,000 a year for the past several years.
The department is responsible for maintaining about 150 miles of road with a budget of about $5 million.
Funding from past bond issues has run out this year, Connolly said, putting the squeeze on funds at the same time that commodity prices are spiking.
He spent $286,000 on salt this year, more than the $250,000 allotted in next year’s budget, even though next year’s prices are higher.
Budgeted funds for repaving, about $280,000, will only cover 1.25 miles of road, he said.
At that rate, “it would take 120 years to pave all the streets.”
Connolly said he wasn’t for raising taxes, but rather moving funds from other sources such as unexpected video lottery payments from the state.
Walters responded that, as the economy moves into a recession, it may be necessary to put off repaving a year or two, until taxpayers are more flush — and perhaps materials prices are lower. He noted that oil has fallen sharply from its peak in the summer — when budget projections were drawn up — which should help moderate prices for fuel and asphalt.
In other action, the board:
• Took a step toward getting out of the water business, approving spending nearly $2 million on water district improvements. The project is part of a $5 million overhaul necessary for the merger of the town water system with the county Water Authority. The remainder of the costs will come from two bond issues, to be considered at hearings Nov. 10 and Dec. 8.
• Approved an increase of $86,901 to a contract for Modern Construction for the closure- maintenance project at the former town landfill on Lakeview Road. The change order reflects unanticipated costs for topsoil. Funds are available from bonds issued for the capital project. The change raises the total cost to $877,259, or $19,000 more than Woodstone Earth Construction had bid.
Nice Job, could save a lot more with fire departments but it is a start and a signal that they have to look to consolidate to stay around. sounds like the highway super is not happy with the money he has, things will change when best takes over the highway department. who are the dems looking to run against walters? and are you looking at one of the seats on the borad? you would be the perfect watchdog! maybe you could be appointed to replace best when he go to highway.
Best for Highway? Tell more!
Great going Walters! Some very good changes have occured unde your watch.
Hopefully more wil come. Fire Department?