Reports have surfaced that Mayor Robert Restaino and his campaign have paid for and distributed campaign mail on behalf of City Council candidate Bridget Myles — a move that is both morally questionable and quite possibly illegal under New York State Election Law.
This recently occurred in a mailer sent out by the Restaino campaign and blurs the line between the two as to which is the rubber stamp for whom. The message to voters is clear: this administration isn’t seeking collaboration or accountability — it’s seeking control.
The people of Niagara Falls are tired — tired of excuses, tired of secrecy, and tired of leadership that serves itself instead of its citizens. For the past four years, Mayor Restaino and his administration have promised progress but delivered political theater.
Now, with a hand-picked slate of City Council candidates poised to rubber-stamp his agenda, voters are being asked to endorse more of the same dysfunction. We shouldn’t.
Under this mayor, basic trust in government has eroded. Key city meetings are routinely converted into “special meetings,” deliberately scheduled with minimal public notice so that citizens and the press are kept in the dark.
Transparency — one of the cornerstones of good government—has been replaced by a culture of control and concealment. Residents and business owners alike have watched as decisions are made quietly, without accountability or open dialogue, in a City Hall that increasingly serves political interests instead of the public good. That lack of transparency extends far beyond City Council chambers. The administration’s use of no-bid contracts — most notably the current arrangement involving the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion — has further deepened public distrust.
When taxpayer dollars are committed without open bidding or competitive review, it raises legitimate questions about fairness, oversight, and whose interests are really being served. In a city struggling to regain financial stability, every contract should be above reproach. Instead, residents are left wondering whether connections count more than competence. Meanwhile, the mayor’s campaign’s direct involvement in promoting and funding City Council candidates — like Bridget Myles — reveals a troubling effort to consolidate political power rather than empower independent leadership.
The Restaino campaign’s recent mailer underscores the unhealthy relationship between the mayor and his slate, blurring the distinction between candidate and controller. A City Council is meant to act as an independent check — not as a rubber stamp for a mayor’s ambitions.
The Restaino administration’s record speaks for itself:
• No real economic development plan beyond vanity projects and costly legal fights.
• No accountability for the city’s growing budget pressures.
• No vision for job creation or public safety reform.
• No transparency, with special meetings used to sidestep open debate and public oversight.
• No public trust, as no-bid contracts like the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion deal signal back-room governance over open competition.
• No independence, with a slate of candidates running to protect the mayor’s power rather than represent the people.
• And now, a campaign strategy that insults voters’ intelligence by pretending these failures don’t exist.
This election isn’t about one mayor or one council candidate — it’s about the future of our city. Niagara Falls stands at a crossroads: we can either continue down the path of political control and stagnation or choose a new direction that values transparency, fairness, and opportunity for every resident. It’s time to send a message that this city belongs to its people, not to any one man or political machine. Niagara Falls deserves independence. Niagara Falls deserves accountability. Niagara Falls deserves better — much better—than what we’ve been given.