Wilfong Looks To Establish Better Lines Between County, Local Officials

The majority leader of the Chautauqua County Legislature is hoping to broaden the communication between county and local officials.

Legislator David Wilfong was among a handful of county officials who attended a Jamestown City Council work session meeting on Monday. For about a half hour, the group discussed options for the county's two airports, including a Air Service Recovery Program to learn whether commercial air service can be sustained in Jamestown.

Wilfong, a Republican whose district is in Jamestown, said he wanted the City Council to be kept abreast of what the county was undertaking. As he first noted earlier this year, Wilfong on Monday again alluded to a lack of dialogue that had existed prior to Mayor Kim Ecklund taking office and dating back a few years.

"I don't think the communication between the county and the city has been that good within the last three or four years," Wilfong said, "and we need to bring that back."

During Sam Teresi's time as mayor, Wilfong said county lawmakers were "always welcomed to be here." He also received a copy of Teresi's itinerary for the month.

"That's the kind of relationship that we have to have," Wilfong said. "I came to Jamestown because I wanted you to know that news (on the airports)."

The apparent lack of communication between the city of Jamestown and county was evident after county employees came forward last summer to express concerns over a string of vehicle vandalisms inside a parking garage. County Executive PJ Wendel and Mayor Eddie Sundquist traded public barbs over the incidents.

Within the next couple of weeks, Wilfong said county legislators are planning to attend a Dunkirk Common Council meeting to discuss the airports.

"That two-way communication -- between the legislature, county executive -- is very, very important," Wilfong said. "I want you to be able to think that you can pick up the phone and call your legislator."

He added, "I think that's been lacking. That's why I called for the meeting. I didn't want you to hear that secondhand about the (airports) survey."