One day after Niagara Falls mayor Robert Restaino announced he had declared a state of emergency for the city which had taken effect in late July, a City Councilmember issued a response to the mayor’s accusation of the Council’s “dereliction of duty” to address infrastructure problems such as subpar road conditions and blighted properties.
Bridgette Myles, in a statement released Sunday morning, said the Council has not rejected several recent agenda items, including road work. Rather, the Council postponed a vote on contracts and spending because they wanted more information before making a decision.
“I agree that Niagara Falls has serious conditions requiring urgent attention. Our residents live with deteriorating streets, unsafe and abandoned properties, gun violence, environmental concerns, and departments struggling with staffing and resources every day. But these conditions did not begin with a Council vote,” she wrote.
The questions raised by councilmembers, Myles explained, include matters between the mayoral administration and union, as well as questions about lot maintenance contracts and bidders.
“Council's responsibility is not simply to approve every item placed before us,” Myles said in her prepared statement. “Our responsibilities include budgeting, legislation and oversight of public funds. Asking questions before voting is not obstruction, it is due diligence.”
Myles also raises the question, if poor roads and dilapidated buildings constitute an emergency, when did it really begin?
“This should not be Mayor versus Council,” she stated. “I will support measures that are properly documented and in the best interest of our residents. But when information is missing, I will ask for it. When taxpayer dollars are being spent, I will ask where they are going. And when public safety is involved, I will ask whether we are doing everything we can to protect our residents.
“Cooperation does not mean abandoning oversight. Niagara Falls residents deserve action, but they also deserve accountability, transparency and the complete story.”
