What needs to be done in our town

[nogods]

FYI: To help cut taxes Diane put together the first Citizen budget advisory committee in 20years. They made some recommendations that will not be popular with some.

There will be more recommendations next year and hopefully more time for the committee to go through the budget to make them.

It is up to the Town board to determine the feasibility and legality of ALL the recommendations and approve them. They will reduce town spending by approx $750,000.


I challenge the board to approve any and all that can be legally done as they will cut spending a small amount this year.

Will you vote for those that don't follow the recommendations?

Closing a facility important to the public (the Maryvale pool) to save a relatively small amount while continuing to waste millions on overpriced sanitation expenses, ineffective use of employees, and all the patronage jobs and expenses in the budget seems like an attempt to create a claim "the people don't want to cut the budget to be able to protect all the millions of waste on friends and families.

[WNYresident]

I start this thread because I believe this topic is very important for any town. Not just Cheektowaga. I pulled the post nogods did and copied it.

[sharky]

they never cut the waste, always the things people want.

for example at school budget time this year the Amherst newsletter had the standard list of things that would have to go away if the contingency budget was used, yet the contingency budget actually spent more

[Electric Eye]

#1 thing is ALL employee pay and benefits need to get in line with the private sector.

#2 time clocks for all EMPLOYEES so the tax payers can have some accountability

#3 An audit of every dept to determine what supplies are actually used vs what they think they need. Don't just take the department heads word! Rolling over 20+ years of budgets (that's how they start the next years budget)....without a periodic RESET audit to find waste and supplies that are out dated ex: a cassette tape ....it is foolish and sloppy accounting IMO to just perpetually roll over budgets.

#4 kill all programs and departments not necessary to run the town, The town should not be in the entertainment and recreation business!!!!!

I started it, I may have more...what do you have to add?
.

[jennifer7]

Cheektowaga has 30 Fire Chief take home Tahoe's, which most miles, wear & tear is from going to
work, shopping, movies, Sabres games,

[Electric Eye]

That is not part of the "town" taxes.

Those fire departments are in special taxing districts and it would have to be taken up with each and everyone of them. Also did you know you cannot rent a fire hall unless you are a member?

It is the only town I am aware of with this policy.

[jennifer7]

As whole Erie County has over 300 Fire Chief take home trucks, Most are new Tahoe's
Also Erie County has 68 Ladder Trucks, for a population of 920,000 that cost 1 to 1 1/2 million a piece
Clark County NV (Las Vegas) has 17 Ladder Trucks for population of a 2.5 Million

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

That is not part of the "town" taxes.

Those fire departments are in special taxing districts and it would have to be taken up with each and everyone of them. Also did you know you cannot rent a fire hall unless you are a member?

It is the only town I am aware of with this policy.

You mean that the Volunteer fire companies have member only benefits for those who volunteer? Shocking!

[Electric Eye]

You mean that the Volunteer fire companies have member only benefits for those who volunteer? Shocking!

You have totally missed the point. So I will spell it out for you.

EVERY other town in the area will rent you a firehall without having to be a member.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

You have totally missed the point. So I will spell it out for you.

EVERY other town in the area will rent you a firehall without having to be a member.

I know a couple in other towns that do not rent to the public. How are you going to back up your claim?

[Electric Eye]

I know a couple in other towns that do not rent to the public. How are you going to back up your claim?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fire...s=lf:1,lf_ui:2

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

https://www.google.com/search?q=fire...s=lf:1,lf_ui:2

Stand corrected. Some of the ones I know of do not rent to the public but it looks like most do. Don't think it's EVERY but I'll give you it's MOST.

The ones I have been in had a lounge and a hall. I wonder if you need both to prevent fighters from not having any access to the hall if there is a private event going on?


That said, personally I think it should be a choice for each vol dept. If they want to rent out the hall they should. If they don't, they should not be forced to.

[Electric Eye]

If they rent to members, they should rent to the tax payers who paid for EVERYTHING they have!!!

They can give members a discount.

Just think of the money they could be making on showers, weddings, parties etc.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

If they rent to members, they should rent to the tax payers who paid for EVERYTHING they have!!!

They can give members a discount.

Just think of the money they could be making on showers, weddings, parties etc.

In return for taxpayers paying for 'EVERYTHING' they have they get fire protection without having the labor obligations that don't exist because they are VOLUNTEERS.

Personally, I would love to see the various Volunteer departments say no and if pushed around disband. Think what you pay now is too much? Try funding a full time fire department in NYS. You don't think these townies wouldn't love the chance to get full time jobs as firefighters and have the salary and perks that come with that job?

Good luck with that.

Go ready what woofy wrote in the first post. It's stupid positions like yours that allow your taxes to be so high. Instead of getting upset with actual costs and overpriced expenses, you get your panties in a bunch because you can't rent out the volunteer local firehall.

[Electric Eye]

Go ready what woofy wrote in the first post. It's stupid positions like yours that allow your taxes to be so high. Instead of getting upset with actual costs and overpriced expenses, you get your panties in a bunch because you can't rent out the volunteer local firehall.

Not a stupid positon. How does renting out a firehall increase our taxes?

The fire dept would bring in more income and therefore should reduce that part of our tax bill. If anything it would be something to further help bring new families to our town.