Join Rachel Martinez in Restoring Balance and Independence to Cheektowaga
Meet Rachel
Rachel Martinez is a lifelong Democrat, licensed clinical social worker, wife, mother, and proud Cheektowaga resident running for Town Council.
She will bring compassionate, transparent, people-first leadership to town government while supporting working families, strengthening neighborhoods, improving infrastructure, and ensuring every resident has a voice.
Transparency In Local Government
Local government is the closest form of government to us as citizens. Because of this closeness, our town government should have transparent and clear interactions with their constituents. They should provide them with ample information to be informed and make decisions on their own.
Unfortunately, our current town government has recently made decision after decision behind closed doors. They appointed a politically connected employee from the private law firm of a local party boss as town judge, with no public input. After losing her election, the Board tried to appoint her as Town Prosecutor and Deputy Town Attorney. The Erie County District Attorney refused to approve the appointment due to obvious conflicts of interest.
An Audit of the Town’s handling of capital project funds by the Office of the New York State Comptroller raised concerns about the Town Board’s lack of transparency and inaccurate budgeting and accounting. Notably, the audit found $318,000 unaccounted for – which Town leaders have yet to explain.
As a Town Board member, Jeff will work for you to:
Bring back work sessions to allow for more public comment and thoughtful decision making.
Introduce legislation to ensure all appointments to elected or executive positions in the Town are publicly discussed and require candidate resumes to be shared publicly, before they are appointed.
Introduce legislation to require more information is shared on Town Board Agendas, including justifications for the proposed actions and fiscal impacts.
Fiscal and Investment Opportunities
While the long term financial health and planning of our town is important, as a Town taxpayer who is facing the same affordability issues as fellow West Senecans, Jeff is committed to holding the line on town taxes and focusing spending on initiatives that will make West Seneca a better place to live – not on salary increases for politicians.
To improve our town and build a solid foundation for generations to come, Jeff will use his background in public service to build bridges and identify new grant opportunities for the Town to pursue.
New York State’s marquee grant program, the Regional Economic Development Council Awards (also known as CFA awards), is the largest funding opportunity available annually. Funding opportunities include a range of projects for municipal needs.
In the 2010s, West Seneca pursued these funding opportunities and received over $1,500,000 for critical projects, such as park improvements, engineering studies and water quality improvements.
Since 2020, the current town council has received NO FUNDING. Meanwhile, the Town of Cheektowaga received $10,000,000 for stormwater improvements, the Town of Eden has received over $1,000,000, the Town of Evans has received over $2,000,000, and the Town of Amherst has received over $800,000.
There’s no reason for West Seneca to be left behind while towns around us, big and small, are accessing funding to defray the cost of improvements. As Town Councilman, Jeff will fight to bring in state resources, keep Town taxes under control, and move West Seneca forward.
Planning For the Future
Citizens have increasingly expressed concerns to the Town Board about “spot zoning” and the process of approving permits.
The Town’s zoning plan was created in the 1960s. It has not received a wholesale review in 60 years, instead being subjected to various ad hoc amendments.
It’s time to have a public discussion about planning and zoning in our town and plan for the future. Residents deserve to have a say, and be aware and prepared for where and what type of development should and shouldn’t take place.
As part of this, Jeff believes the Town should undertake a review of its town code to identify how the Town can assist residents with safely and expeditiously improve their property.
With strong public input, the Town created a comprehensive plan in 2016. The Plan is used to guide decision makers on the future of the town and to support funding opportunities. However, the Town Council has ignored the Plan’s recommendations when approving projects and variances. It’s time to update the Plan, by engaging the public on what they want the future of West Seneca to look like.
Public Safety and Recreation
West Seneca is generally considered one of the safest towns in Erie County. We have our police department, volunteer fire companies, and emergency services to thank for that. As a member of the Town Board, Jeff will fight to ensure they have the necessary funding and resources to continue to keep us safe.
Source: https://www.onlyinyourstate.
Our town’s recreational resources are among our biggest assets and provide several, critical avenues to build a sense of community. West Seneca should consider new, multi-use opportunities for these resources that would both span interests and be multi-generational.