Village residents for decades have shouldered cost of improvements in Medina area

Editor:

Medina may benefit from a history lesson, regarding the debate over dissolution.

In 1959 Medina bonded a nearly $1 million waterline project to connect with the Niagara County Water District. A 30-year debt was paid for BY VILLAGE OF MEDINA RESIDENTS. A new sewage treatment facility was needed to service homes, schools and businesses. Village residents paid this bill.

These projects allowed existing businesses to provide jobs, and taxes benefited both the village and towns. The Maple Ridge Corridor, Medina Business Park, Brunner, etc. all benefited.  But this boom also caused infrastructure issues, including flooding, sewer problems (Towne School required reconstruction of North, Elizabeth and State streets).

Infrastructure work was needed for the new high school, Church Street, East Oak Orchard street, and Gwinn  Street and it was all paid for BY VILLAGE RESIDENTS.

These costs made necessary a “sewage tax” (compare my neighbor’s water bill, $145 for one person versus my town friend’s $16). Again, the village residents take one for the team.

The town continued its great need for water in the 1980s and early ’90s. Medina is paying for it all. It is insulting to watch the smug attitude of the towns toward our mayor, who’s trying to ease the burden on village residents.

What ideas do THEY have regarding this great disparity of tax burden?  Oh, guess the PR person from NYC and the attorney speaking for the cowardly town representatives don’t have that on their agenda.

We are neighbors and friends with Shelby and Ridgeway, but this lack of concern for our burden in the village is disturbing, especially if our underpaid, over-extended village reps are willing to try and remediate it.

One Medina now.

Jim Hobbs
Village of Medina