Treegate is important by deminimus

As Mark Scheer reported in the Gazette, trees appear to have been taken down near property owned by politically connected people, including the Mayor and City Engineer.

The trees, on the devil strip between the sidewalk and the street are the responsibility of the city. It is the appearance of impropriety so that makes it wrong. Especially since the work was done before funding was approved.

But let's not pretend it's a big thing. The city has $100 million budget to put that in perspective. $20,000 is a drop in the bucket.

Imagine you run a business that has $500,000 in revenue and spend $100 on something. It is a big deal but economically a one drop in a big bucket.

What's more important is what the heck is going on with the garbage tax? The city is sitting on a $21 million fund balance and neither Dontā Myles nor David Zajac spoke up to say this was supposed to be a temporary tax.

The city has the money. Why not cut it in half for this year and see where we stand a year from now? That would have been leadership. Continuing to beat a dead horse over these trees is noise.

Also, there is good stuff going on at Hyde Park Ice Pavilion but no questions being answered. Who paid for what? What is the agreement with the new operator?

When do we hear about more developers selected for Main Street?

And when Niagara University can’t find the money to finish First Congregation Church at 822 Cleveland, and can’t fill its own dorms, what makes anyone think it is going to partner to build new student housing on Main Street? Oh and will that change in zoning ever take effect when no new student housing is ready to go 10 months from now?