Let the people vote/downsizing town board seats??

[be true to yourself]

The town board should let the citizens of West Seneca speak PRIOR to the board voting on agenda items, not AFTER.

Shame on the board for not allowing the taxpayers to vote on reducing their seats or not. Are you all afraid of what the voters might say? If not, why not approve the referendem? What do you have to be afraid of? Guess we will never know.

The lack of respect for fellow board members is sad. Please start acting like adults.

Mr. Graber, YELLING at a resident.....that was rude, you sank to a new low tonight and repeated yourself over and over again. Please do us a favor and not be on the ballot next year.

[OldTymeRevival]

The town board should let the citizens of West Seneca speak PRIOR to the board voting on agenda items, not AFTER.

Shame on the board for not allowing the taxpayers to vote on reducing their seats or not. Are you all afraid of what the voters might say? If not, why not approve the referendem? What do you have to be afraid of? Guess we will never know.

The lack of respect for fellow board members is sad. Please start acting like adults.

Mr. Graber, YELLING at a resident.....that was rude, you sank to a new low tonight and repeated yourself over and over again. Please do us a favor and not be on the ballot next year.

+++

A shame that five board members could not agree on the conventional wisdom that the voters can and do have a say. A shame too that elected officials the likes of Graber get away with vile and unacceptable behavior; not only publicly, but also reprehensibly against a town resident.

If, as Kevin Gaughan said to the press after tonight's town board meeting that a petition with X (?) number of valid signatures can put it on the ballot for this years election, without the sanction of the board itself- then HURRAH! Good for Kevin and good for the towns folk who will have a say in November.

After sitting through tonight's meeting and seeing some of you, and listening to some of you others, I'm glad I moved to OP and am just a casual observer for this. If I have my way I'll also move my business a few miles south and operate wholly in OP- can't come soon enough.

[Protect West Seneca]

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A shame that five board members could not agree on the conventional wisdom that the voters can and do have a say. A shame too that elected officials the likes of Graber get away with vile and unacceptable behavior; not only publicly, but also reprehensibly against a town resident.

If, as Kevin Gaughan said to the press after tonight's town board meeting that a petition with X (?) number of valid signatures can put it on the ballot for this years election, without the sanction of the board itself- then HURRAH! Good for Kevin and good for the towns folk who will have a say in November.

After sitting through tonight's meeting and seeing some of you, and listening to some of you others, I'm glad I moved to OP and am just a casual observer for this. If I have my way I'll also move my business a few miles south and operate wholly in OP- can't come soon enough.

Can't agree with you more...on every point. Orchard Park....pretty nice there...maybe its' time to move. I have lived in West Seneca for 30 years, love it....but was appauled by our leaders behavior and lack of respect, especially Graber... what happened to him? He spoke of the street light change and how wonderful he is. Why didn't he tell everyone how long streets were DARK with poles and wires hanging out and no lights at all. Funny, I have not heard of any reduction in their bills !!

[OldTymeRevival]

Can't agree with you more...on every point. Orchard Park....pretty nice there...maybe its' time to move. I have lived in West Seneca for 30 years, love it....but was appauled by our leaders behavior and lack of respect, especially Graber... what happened to him? He spoke of the street light change and how wonderful he is. Why didn't he tell everyone how long streets were DARK with poles and wires hanging out and no lights at all. Funny, I have not heard of any reduction in their bills !!

+++

And just remember- Graber's an idiot- the town idiot, at that! LMAO!

[MERL J]

A few things -

Citizens have every right under the Constitution to petition government - so sorry, Graber...

Clarke using double-negatives made the government representatives look even worse.

Maybe the dais should be reconfigured to make all heads the same level. Looked like a bad update of the King and I.

[OldTymeRevival]

A few things -

Citizens have every right under the Constitution to petition government - so sorry, Graber...

Clarke using double-negatives made the government representatives look even worse.

Maybe the dais should be reconfigured to make all heads the same level. Looked like a bad update of the King and I.

+++++


Discussion of board cuts gets heated

By Samantha Maziarz Christmann NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 07/29/08 6:49 AM


Buzz up!


As expected, Town Supervisor Wallace Piotrowski’s resolution to let voters decide whether to trim two board members from West Seneca’s Town Board was voted down by board members.

Instead, members ended up voting for a cost savings analysis that will audit the amount of money board members have saved the town through their service to the board.

Councilwoman Sheila Meegan seconded Piotrowski’s board member reduction resolution “for the sole sake of discussion,” she said.

Council members then read from prepared statements, each of which included lists of how board members had individually saved taxpayers money, despite Councilman Vincent Graber’s assertion that his opposition to the board reduction was “not about self-preservation.”

The discussion quickly turned hostile, with board members raising their voices, hurling accusations and bickering over one another’s record of service.

The infighting stopped only after residents in the overflow crowd, many in attendance to hear the status of the town’s troubled ice rink, booed and shouted for the board members to stop arguing.

“Enough!” they yelled, as parents took children in hockey jerseys from the room.

But, as promised, Piotrowski has vowed to move ahead with civic reformer Kevin Gaughan, going door-to-door collecting signatures to put the proposed board member reduction on the ballot, despite Graber and Councilwoman Christina Bove’s insistence that referendum through the petition process is illegal in New York State.

“[Residents] can’t do anything unless we pass a resolution first,” Graber said.

Gaughan, pointing to Section 87 of New York State Town Law, said referendum through petition is clearly legal.

Several residents who attended the board meeting gathered around Gaughan afterward, volunteering to meet the next day and help collect some of the 1,400 signatures Gaughan said he needs to put the referendum through.

schristmann@buffnews.com

Lets join them and get the necessary signatures!