Candidates exchange ideas

Six candidates for three seats spoke at Bloneva Bond Elementary on Tuesday, hoping to secure a position on the Democratic line for November’s city council election.

The three candidates endorsed by Mayor Bob Restaino and the city Democratic Committee are John Kinney, Noah Munoz and Bridgette Myles. Three unendorsed candidates are incumbent councilperson Donta Myles and challengers Sylvana Rahman and Michia Lee.

Kinney, a political newcomer is retired after working for the city for 35 years, serving time in sanitation, parking enforcement, and public works as an hourly employee in a civil service roll and finally as DPW superintendent, a position also held by his father.

Michia Lee said she found out about Tuesday’s event by accident. The event was put together by the Gazette and Niagara Falls Democratic Committee. The paper invited the endorsed candidates first, causing panic among the challengers who wondered why they weren’t included. The person in charge at the Gazette, Matt Winterhalter, watched the forum from the front row, making a rare public appearance but was not seen interacting with candidates or speaking to members of the public. It was the first public appearance for the reclusive Winterhalter since last year's Mayoral debate when he saw his shadow and went back in his hole for another year. Rick Pfeiffer and Renae Kimble moderated the event.

Lee said she gathered 836 signatures in 5 days after attending a city council meeting and being disgusted by what she saw.

“We have nothing for our children, nothing for our seniors,” she said.

Bridgette Myles said she is a minority and woman-owned business owner who formerly worked for the city as administrative assistant to Mayor Paul Dyster.

“I have seen the good, the bad and the things behind the scenes,” she said.

Donta Myles said he first came to a council meeting on 2016 and returned, eventually deciding to run because he was discouraged by a lack of city services and didn’t like the answers.

“The voice of the people matters,” Myles said.

Noah Munoz is a real estate professional who believes the best days for Niagara Falls lie ahead.

“It is about restoring pride in what should be one of the greatest cities in the world,” Munoz said.

Rahman is a software engineer who came here from New York City with her extended family.

“I can see the potential of what can be the future of Niagara Falls,” she said.

The first question was for each candidate to address the 3 top issues facing the city over the next 3 years.

Every candidate seemed to discuss infrastructure and jobs.

Munoz said the city’s $100 million budget is not enough and there is a dire need to work with the schools, SUNY Niagara and the unions to create pathways to good jobs as well as attract new tech development because good jobs and new business support a more vibrant community and are revenue positive.

Munoz called for fixing up homes as well as developing year-round activity so tourism can become more than a 3-month industry.

Donta Myles said the city is only as strong as its weakest link and has struggled, especially in providing things for youth to do because after closing community centers and turning the YMCA into a homeless shelter nothing has been done to improve things. He also said bankruptcy could be around the corner for the city if real issues aren’t addressed with urgency.

Bridgette Myles talked about cleaning up the city, repairing the streets and affordable housing. Lee said crime is caused by poverty. Economic development and jobs are the answer.

Kinney said quality of life is an issue and processes need to be improved. The way roads used to be repaved has been improved but it results in fewer road being fixed every year. Those repairs last much longer than they did the old way.

Several candidates spoke about unruly conduct in city council meetings acknowledging people lash out because the city government is unresponsive and they have no other outlet.

Donta Myles called for a return of the Mayor and department heads to meetings so questions can actually be addressed. Myles was also the only candidate prepared to answer questions about the ongoing pollution problems with the Goodyear plant.

The candidates danced around Centennial Park, a proposed $200 million “multi-use arena” and Urbacon, a data center Niagara Falls Redevelopment has proposed on the same parcel.

Bridgette Myles spoke about how both projects could be excellent for Niagara Falls.

Lee was blunt in her assessment.

“One would be an asset, one would be a liability,” she said. “We have a $100 million budget and a $200 million project. I don’t like it.”

Kinney spoke about zoning and speculated there could be a way to build both projects. He also talked about traveling for youth sports and the level of excitement that comes from arriving at an exciting new facility.

Munoz questioned why NFR would not build a data center on land that is already zoned appropriately.

Donta Myles questioned how the city budget could withstand $9 to $10 million in debt service on an arena for which no feasibility study has been released.

The city needs to put more pressure on the state to share tourism revenue, according to Kinney. He said the answer to revitalizing things is small businesses like the new bars on Third Street and the Daredevil museum.

There needs to be better understanding of where dollars come into the city from and where they are going, Rahman said.

“When we grow businesses,” Rahman said, “mentally and emotionally the people of our community will be uplifted.”

Far too many things in the Falls end up being parochial and only happening because of special interests, not consideration of the whole community according to Donta. It is important to stop shuffling real estate between friends and family.

Bridgette suggested working more closely with the state to develop business and bring investors.

The city last did a reassessment of property in 2006 and has a current equalization rate of 50%. Most candidates seemed to favor reassessment but did not have a clear grasp that revaluing property for the purpose of taxation is revenue neutral. The question about reassessment was lengthy, confusing and poorly worded.

Early voting is ongoing. The primary is June 24.