NIAGARA COUNTY: Legislature downsizing is on Tuesday's ballot

By Mark Scheer<br><a href="mailto:scheerm@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Mark</a>

Supporters say it’s a good idea that will lead to smaller government and less cost.

Critics suggest the plan is too sparce on details and will not only hurt the level of representation in Niagara County’s largest city, but won’t result in much of a savings when all is said and done.

On Tuesday, voters will be asked to consider a proposition that calls for the county Legislature to be trimmed from its current roster of 19 to 15 members.

Majority Leader Richard Updegrove, R-Lockport, admitted that the financial benefits of such a move would be “neglible” compared to the overall cost of county government, but said the initiative has more to with responding to residents who have long called for reductions on the size of their government.

“It’s empowering voters to make a structural change to the government,” Updegrove said. “If our constituents are asking for that opportunity then they should have that opportunity and that’s what we’ve done.”

If approved, the measure would save the county the cost of four legislative salaries. This year, lawmakers earned $15,075 apiece. As party leaders, Updegrove and Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, earn an extra $500 each. As chairman, William Ross, C-Wheatfield, gets an additional $3,000.

A similar downsizing measure that would have cut the size of the Legislature down to 15 members was rejected by voters in 2001. That initiative was included as part of a proposed county charter that also called for the creation of a county executive’s position.

In July, lawmakers held a public hearing on the current downsizing propoal. A handful of citizens spoke, most of them saying they didn’t like the idea.

Based on what he’s heard lately, Virtuoso says he doesn’t like it either.

While he voted in favor of the resolution calling for the measure to be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot, Virtuoso has since expressed concern that GOP leaders have ulterior motives for pushing the plan. He said Republicans are taking advantage of the downsizing movement that is catching on in other parts of Western New York to help them in their campaign to reduce the level of representation in the City of Niagara Falls. He said his fears were confirmed during an interview on the local public television station LCTV with Republican state Sen. George Maziarz who predicted the Falls could lose as many as three representatives in the Legislature once the new population figures are released in the 2010 Census. Virtuoso said GOP leaders are banking on a significant drop in the city’s population that would allow three seats to be removed, with legislators representing the nearby towns of Lewiston, Wheatfield and Niagara having their districts expanded to include parts of the Falls. Virtuoso said there’s also a chance the fourth eliminated seat would come at the expense of the Town of Wilson, which is currently represented by Democrat Kyle Andrews in the 14th District.

“It would be devastating for us and the surrounding towns of Lewiston, Wheatfield and the Town of Niagara because their legislators now would have to have time to devote to us also," Virtuoso said.

Ross said the new population numbers may demonstrate a need to reduce the number of seats in the Falls, but said that doesn’t mean the city won’t receive fair representation if the downsizing measure is approved. He said the new legislative districts would be done by the numbers, allowing all of the remaining legislators to represent roughly the same number of constituents.

“They will get fair representation without any question and they should get fair representation,” Ross said.

Virtuoso accused GOP leaders of rushing the plan, saying the measure could have waited until next year which would have allowed for more time to examine specifics and to determine if 15 lawmakers is appropriate or if the county would be better served with more or less. Virtuoso said Ross was supposed to form a legislative committee to take a closer look at such things, but never did because Republican lawmakers wanted to act on the proposition this year without properly thinking it through.

“The people should take a second look when they vote on this because the majority has been very silent," he said. “They have not given any details on what this downsizing is going to do to the makeup of the county. The way it's being talked about right now it's going to be done on the backs of Niagara Falls."

Ross, who is running for re-election this year, said that if he wins and remains chairman he does intend to push for the creation of a committee of nine people to look at various aspects of the Legislature, including issues like length of term and possibly term limits.

While Virtuoso has hinted that the group, which would include three lawmakers and six citizens, would be asked to consider salary increases for the 15 legislators who remain should downsizing move forward, Ross said he doesn’t favor pay hikes at this time and would not expect the group to support such an idea either.

“I still think there’s time to see if we could do other things to streamline the Legislature,” Ross said.

Updegrove said if Virtuoso disliked downsizing then he shouldn’t have voted in favor of placing the measure on the ballot.

“All legislators agreed on that resolution,” he said. “If they didn’t agree then they shouldn’t have voted on it.”

As for Virtuoso’s concerns about Niagara Falls, Updegrove said it’s too early to predict the impact of the 2010 Census figures and how they might affect representation in any of the county’s communities. He added that the measure at hand deals solely with the size of the Legislature, not salaries, length of term or any other issues raised by Virtuoso.

“Personally, I don’t support any changes in compensation or length of terms,” Updegrove said. “But, that is a different issue, I believe, than the size of the Legislature.”

Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250