Last Monday evening was a special stop on our tour as we visited the magnificent Town of Collins on Erie County’s southern border.
Town supervisor Ken Martin – a raspberry farmer in a decades-old family business – extended a warm welcome, and the board members were interested and engaged in my presentation.
The Collins Town Hall courtroom where we met possesses a “To Kill a Mockingbird” – like charm, as a late-setting sun drifted through large windows and rested on citizens draped over chairs. I discussed how rural Erie County is becoming increasingly impoverished, and proposed that the Collins town board reduce from 5 to 3 members.
Then one of the most interesting debates on the tour took place. Collins residents, led by Charlie Summers, contested my assertion that eliminating 2 politicians would make any difference. Charlie described his memories of when the town possessed more life, more residents, and more business. And he blamed the loss of opportunity on the exodus of Western New York companies from New York State.
Charlie had at me pretty hard. In response, I asserted that he was making my point better than I could. Companies have fled New York because of the high cost of doing business – which includes Erie County’s fourth highest property tax rate in the nation. And the only way to reduce local taxes is to reduce the cost of local government.
And I reminded folks that my proposal is not that just Collins downsize, but that all 45 municipalities reduce their number of politicians. This would eliminate 90 elected officials, favorably affect our economy, and most important, restore citizens’ confidence that change is in fact possible in our region.
We’re nearing the end of the tour. It’s unsettling how much work remains.
P.S. During the town board meeting which preceded the presentation, not for the first time I witnessed American democracy at its thrilling best. There’s been concern in Collins that town employees have perhaps misused a town pick-up truck. Two Collins residents, Margaret Degenfelder and Lois Johnson, filed Freedom of Information Law requests to view departmental log-books. Their vigilence caused the town board to adopt new policies concerning the use of town property. I spoke with Margaret and Lois afterwards, and felt I was in the presence of the type of citizens that Jefferson, Adams, et. al hoped and prayed for.
