Niagara Falls new council chairman needs to respect the people

Next City Council Chairperson, has to show leadership

Over the last year our city faced many issues that affect all of the people that call Niagara Falls home.  Holding an elected office involves working with the people who live in the city, by finding ways to improve the lives of people living here. The future chairperson should establish a vision and a plan to better our community, a plan that residents can fellow and support, a plan that improves the living standards for everyone that call Niagara Falls home.

Leadership is also about making tough decisions and asking tough questions to the person who makes policy governing our city. Casino money could possibly be a thing of the past, in the next couple of years. Plenty of cities would love to have twenty million a year to spend on things to improve their city, but not here, for example improving neighborhoods, tearing down vacant houses, which there are plenty of, lowering taxes, which property owners now pay more here than any other city in the state.  But who’s asking these questions no one? Who’s asking the tough questions, on how to balance the budget and lower taxes, and improve the lives for the residents living here?

What we need is a chairperson of the city council who is willing to ask the tough questions when it comes to issues facing our city. We also need a chairperson who will show respect to residents when they come to council meetings to speak.  We need someone who will understand residents concerns, and find ways to work with residents, and not debate them. Many people who have attended City council meetings over the years, say they have never seen so much disrespect for residents, when it comes to voicing  their concerns.

Plenty of people feel they are being treated like students not like adults. The rules that are said before the meeting, most people believe them are not the same rules that are in the city charter. When someone signs up to speak, they have to put what they will be talking about, that was never an issue, are people being censored? Hopefully the future chairperson, will listen to residents’ concerns, and ask tough questions about issues we face as a city.

Robert Ventry