Diane Benczkowski Former Cheektowaga Supervisor

07/17/2026

Just a week away . . . see what the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival has to offer this year!
https://ampoleagle.com/Cheektowaga-Festival.pdf

05/22/2026

I noticed Resolution 2026-354 “Creation of Deputy Superintendent of Highways for Job Inventory” on Tuesday’s Town Board Agenda.

Two years in a row, Brian Nowak pushed to abolish the Deputy Superintendent of Highways position. In 2022 abolish it. In 2023 abolish it again. The argument was economy, efficiency, and no money allotted in the budget. Eventually, the position was eliminated.

Now in 2026 Brian Nowak is sponsoring a resolution to CREATE the exact same position again even though no money is allotted in the current budget. I am respectfully asking Councilmembers Stephen Nowicki and Tiffany Lewis (who are the other two sponsors of the resolution) to please research the history behind this and why the position was abolished. There is some history here and serious reasons why the position was abolished.

So we, the taxpayers, deserve answers:

1. What changed?

2. Was eliminating it the wrong decision back then?

3. If the position was unnecessary in 2022 and 2023, why is it suddenly necessary now?

4. If it’s necessary now, why spend years fighting to remove it?

5. Is this a good decision after hearing that the town is in a financial crisis and facing a double digit tax levy increase for 2027?

It’s hard to call it fiscal responsibility when yesterday’s wasteful position becomes today’s priority.

01/26/2026

TONIGHT is the first Cheektowaga Town Board Public Hearing on going over the property tax cap for 2028. Yes, they are already wanting to go over the tax cap for next year without even trying to control spending this year. They want to take the lazy way out and put the burden on us taxpayers instead of doing the heavy lifting themselves. I am urging all my friends and neighbors to PLEASE copy and paste this social media post and also send an email to the town Board at [email protected] and the Town Clerk at [email protected].

Dear Town Board Members and Town Clerk,

Please accept this email as my written public comment for the January 27, 2026 Town Board public hearing and include it in the official record.

New York State’s Property Tax Cap law exists to protect homeowners from excessive tax increases and to require fiscal discipline from local governments. Exceeding the tax cap should be rare and justified only by true necessity and not used as a budgeting shortcut.

An override of the tax cap for 2027 would place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers who are already facing rising costs and inflation. Before asking residents to pay more, the Town Board has an obligation to exhaust all responsible alternatives, including spending restraint, prioritizing needs over wants, and a thorough audit of every single voucher and invoice to avoid any wasteful spending.

Respecting the tax cap is about accountability and respect for taxpayers. I urge the Town Board to follow New York State General Municipal Law Article 2, §3-c and remain within the property tax cap for the 2027 budget.

Thank you for including this comment in the public record.

Sincerely,

01/13/2026

It is only January and this is for next years 2027 budget. Why would the Town Board start the year trying to spend more money for next year. Once they approve exceeding the tax cap, the sky’s the limit. It could be 8%, 12%, 20%. Don’t even open that door. Keep taxpayer protections in place.

Resolution 2026-22 is on the town board agenda for tonight, January 13 at 5:30 pm. The town board is seeking to have a public hearing on January 27, 2026 for the purpose of exceeding the tax cap for NEXT years budget (2027). The tax cap is the only protection to keep the town from spending and taxing. DONT give up your rights to keep the taxes under or at the cap. Once the cap is exceeded there are zero protections in place for taxpayers and you could be looking at double digit increases. In 2025 the supervisors budget proposed an 8% tax increase and the republicans made difficult choices to get the budget under the tax cap. Unfortunately there is no longer a republican board majority looking out for fiscal responsibility and common sense. Show up, speak up, email the town board.