Is it time to give the Niagara Falls City Charter another look and perhaps some revision?
Some candidates running for open seats on the city council this year think so.
During a candidates forum held Wednesday at Earl W. Brydges Library, a majority of the eight candidates seeking council seats this year said they think local government would run better if the charter — the legal document guiding the city’s operation — underwent some changes.
Republican candidate Tanya Barone said she thinks changes are needed, in part, to ensure greater checks on the mayor’s office.
“We all know who the dictator is and who the pawns are in the story, so let’s do some major changes to that charter and bring the power back to the council and to the people,” she said.
Barone also suggested it is time to eliminate a charter provision that gives the mayor’s office full power to direct department heads, which she argues limits the ability of council members to help residents get answers to their questions and concerns about basic city services.
“In order for this to work efficiently and effectively, we need direct communication with our department heads,” she said. “There should be no stranglehold on city council members.”
Fellow Republican and former council member Vince Cauley agreed.
He cited an example of wanting to ask a question of the city’s economic development director about business in the Falls, only to be told that, under a policy imposed by the mayor’s office, department heads aren’t allowed to talk without obtaining permission from the mayor first.
“We can change the charter or we can change the mayor,” he said.
Incumbent Republican David Zajac also agreed that some charter revisions may be in order, noting that he finds it frustrating at times to have to wait for answers from the administration to concerns brought to him by constituents. He also said it’s important for city lawmakers to advocate for residents as best they can while keeping an open mind when it comes to dealing with the mayor, the administration or other lawmakers.
“You can’t hold grudges in this position. If you do, the only ones who suffer are the residents,” he said.
Incumbent Democrat Donte Myles, who is attempting a write-in campaign this year, noted that the current version of the charter, which was formalized in 2018, was developed, in part, by Falls Mayor Robert Restaino who performed charter-related legal work as an attorney before he was elected mayor.
Myles said the city, by charter or by actions of its leaders, needs checks and balances in place to ensure the public’s interest is being properly served.
As a council member, he said, “It’s OK to work with the administration. It’s not OK to work for the administration.”
“We have to understand how we work for,” he added. “When we get elected, we work for the people.”
The trio of endorsed Democratic council candidates — John Kinney, Noah Munoz and Bridgette Myles — pushed back on the idea that charter revisions are needed, suggesting instead better communication among city leaders can be as or even more effective.
Endorsed Democrat Bridgette Myles said communication between the two branches of government is important to moving the city forward.
“We are going to be in the same situation we are in now if you can’t communicate with the chief executive of the city,” she said.
Fellow Democrat John Kinney agreed, adding that the rules currently in place are the rules and that what’s paramount is making sure the lines of communication remain open to ensure residents’ concerns are being addressed.
“We can’t be fighting within on the city council because we want to change things amongst ourselves,” he said.
The third endorsed Democrat, Noah Munoz, said if charter changes are needed, the current crop of council members should pursue them now instead of waiting for others to do it after the election. He suggested the language barring council members from having involvement in directing department heads was put in the charter for a reason.
“The charter’s clear,” he said. “We can’t have communication with department heads. It’s more than likely there to prevent confusion, whether you like it or not.”
John Accardo, who is running on the Conservative line this year and who previously served on the city council for nine years, said he would like to see one charter change — adding a clause that would require the mayor, the city administrator or a designee to attend all council meetings.
He noted that, under the city’s current rules, residents frequently complain to lawmakers and their concerns are not heard by officials like the mayor and city administrator, who are in better positions to address community concerns but are not required to attend council meetings.
“The simple solution is to change the charter,” he said.
Wednesday’s city council forum was presented by the Niagara Community Information Group in collaboration with the Niagara University political science department and with support from the Niagara Falls chapter of the NAACP. The forum was moderated by Saladin Allah, a local educator, author and director of community engagement at The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center.