By Tony Farina
“We need to educate voters and help them hold their city leaders accountable,” says Donta Myles who is seeking a second four-year term on the Niagara Falls City Council which in his view has become pretty much a rubber stamp in its current state to Mayor Robert Restaino and that his one-man rule is costing the city big time in many ways, especially in development where the chosen few are prospering.
“The council is not balanced at all,” says Myles who holds one of the three seats up for election on the Niagara Falls Council. Myles recently lost a 3 -2 vote to become chairman of the council to Jim Perry who has been singled out by the Coalition for Open Government as a major offender in the effort to promote government transparency.
Myles had been supported in his bid for chairmanship by Council member Brian Archie. Two Republican members of the council, Traci Bax and David Zajac, are up for re-election with Zajac saying he will run and Bax uncertain of her plans because of her busy travel schedule. Both voted against Myles for chairman.
“The council is not balanced at all,” says Myles. “We are supposed to be a co-equal branch of government but that’s just not the case.”
Myles believe the city is missing out on development opportunities that would benefit taxpayers but instead has lost out to the nepotism-based development agenda of Mayor Restaino which he sees as narrow-minded and not in the best interests of the taxpayers.
“People need to be informed and come to the council meetings with their concerns and ideas to make the city a better place,” says Myles. “It should not be a one-way street at the beck and call of the mayor and the council should be held accountable.”
Myles calls the Fourth District and neighboring areas the forgotten part of the city and points to the loss of two community centers and the YMCA on Main St. where young people could gather. Those gathering spots have not been replaced.
The petition process will start shortly and Myles plans to go to people to let them know about what the loss of the balance of power in government is the city in development opportunities that hurt young people and taxpayers alike.
“I’m not a photo-op campaigner but I will tell the people what’s going on in city hall that is costing them development opportunities that instead are going to the mayor’s friends and relatives,” says Myles. “We need to do a better job representing all the people not just the chosen few of the mayor.”
