The Town of Tonawanda announced Wednesday that Supervisor Joseph Emminger will be stepping down in May after holding the post for more than a decade.
"It has been a privilege to serve my hometown, the town I grew up in and the town where my wife and I decided decades ago to raise our children in," Emminger said. “We accomplished a lot in that time frame, and with the help of a lot of people."
When he steps down next month as Tonawanda town supervisor, it will cap off more than two decades of public service. Emminger was elected as a town board member in 2005, and supervisor in 2015. But that urge to get involved in civics started long before then.
"I made a comment at the kitchen table to my parents, complaining about something about government, and my father looked at me and said, 'Well, have you registered to vote yet?,'" recounted Emminger. "And I said, 'No, not yet.' And he goes, 'Well, until you register to vote, you don't talk about making change.' So I went down and registered to vote, and all these years later when I was running for office, back in 2005, I just thought that the people were frustrated and that the elected officials weren't listening to their cries for help."
There’s an adage — that "all politics is local." Emminger said he takes that phrase to heart.
"Politics is cyclical. Everything is going to remain cyclical. I think a lot of it has to do with national politics, state politics. But local government? Towns, cities and villages; we are responsible for providing the services at the lowest possible responsible costs," he said.
Emminger said he’s proud to have led overhauls to Tonawanda’s parks and recreations and establishing a municipal ambulance service.
There’ve also been challenges. From navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of the Huntley and Sumitomo Rubber plants, and environmental issues with Tonawanda Coke. For him, the proudest accomplishment is being receptive for everyday issues.
"There's nothing that gives me a bigger kick than talking to an elderly resident, or even a young couple who are just experiencing problems," said Emminger. "Maybe with a neighbor, or their addition that they're looking to put on the house or their garbage totes that they're having issues with that blew down the road or something. And you know that I can help those people, because all I have to do is pick up a phone. I have never taken that for granted."
The Town of Tonawanda is in good financial shape according to Emminger, but he warns of the struggle all municipalities will continue to face with rising inflation and state tax cap laws.
Emminger said he isn’t stepping down for health reasons, but wants to spend more time with family away from public life.
The town board will appoint an interim successor for the remainder of the year once he officially resigns next month. That person can be a sitting board member or any town or Kenmore resident above the age of 18.
Then, a special election will be held in November to decide who will hold the supervisor seat until the end of 2027.
