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In Our Opinion

Mayor Has Another Key Hiring Decision

Mayor Kim Ecklund faces another key hiring decision early in her second year as mayor. In a Facebook post late last week the city said it is looking to hire a new city planner. In our opinion, it’s a major opportunity for Ecklund to really begin to set a direction for the city’s direction. Planning, as we noted yesterday in this space, is often a Spaceballs-esque farce at the local level. We’re often working very hard in local planning departments preparing to possibly at some point do … something, we guess. The rub is that we employ planning departments but then contract ...

Larson’s Focus Is In The Right Place – Jobs

County Legislator Fred Larson asked a good question last week - what exactly is the county Planning Department planning if it isn’t worried about dealing with two of the most pressing issues facing Chautauqua County? We’re talking, of course, about job creation and boosting the county economy. Larson took issue with a 40-minute presentation by county Planning Department officials that was long on what the department did in 2024. The list is fairly long - completion of four plans and studies; administration of 12 mandatory projects, boards, and committees; and 13 community outreach ...

We Fought The Free Market, And The Free Market Won

We hope this is the last we have to hear about a road salt shortage as temperatures stay largely above freezing into mid-March according to most forecasts. It’s a nice respite from what has been a cold, slick winter. At the same time we hope state policy makers have learned a lesson from the mess that was the Great Road Salt Shortage of 2024-25. The main producer of rock salt in New York state, American Rock Salt, struggled to keep up with demand despite its best efforts. The company had crews working weekends and holidays trying to fill orders as best it could. What happened ...

BPU Board Faces An Important Hiring Decision

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has found itself in the capable hands of David Leathers for 20 years. Amid all the uncertainty of New York’s energy policy Leathers has found a way to minimize the impacts on BPU ratepayers as much as possible, including his leadership this winter when the New York Power Authority proposed a massive rate hike for hydropower that helps power Jamestown. There have been major changes in the recycling markets that Leathers has largely managed with minor impacts to BPU customers. News that Leathers is retiring next January means the BPU board ...

There Is Another Route For County Sales Tax Talks

County legislators took a good first step last week when they choose to discuss increasing the way a percent of the county’s sales tax is distributed. Chautauqua County’s sales tax rate is currently 8%. Every two years the county legislature must request the state Legislature give permission for the county’s sales tax to be higher than 7%. The most recent authorization is set to expire Dec. 1. Of the additional 1% the county collects in sales tax, 85% of those funds go to the county, while 15% go to the local municipalities. Most county lawmakers last week agreed with Fred ...

Push Finally Came To Shove With Prison Strike

It’s long past the time for the prison strike affecting several prisons across the state - including two locally - to come to an end. There are ripple effects of these actions that reverberate across the criminal justice system - and we were reminded of just a few when Sheriff Jim Quattrone spoke during last week’s Chautauqua County Legislature meeting. Striking corrections officers mean state facilities can’t accept new prisoners, which means county jails like Chautauqua County’s have to continue holding prisoners who should be transferred. That means more of your local ...