VISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
- (2023 Vision) Keep taxes from continually increasing every year and let's work to fix the home reassessments.
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) CONTINUALLY VOTED NO TO OVERRIDING THE TAX CAP!
- (2023 Vision) Adjust the parking regulations so the overnight parking ban does not take effect on October 1st or last until March 31st when the weather is projected to be warm enough to allow for on-street parking.
(2024 Accomplishment) ACCOMPLISHED!
- (2023 Vision) Ensuring forgotten sidewalks that need repair are fixed or replaced adequately.
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) SIDEWALKS ARE BEING FIXED!
Here are some examples!
And while not technically a sidewalk, when a resident said the city street was eroding the apron, we got that fixed too!
(2023 Vision) Address the speeding on interior residential roadways.
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) THE POLICE SPEED BOX TRAILER HAS BEEN DEPLOYED AROUND THE SECOND WARD AT RESIDENTS’ REQUEST. OUR OFFICERS ARE CONTINUALLY DOING SPEED ENFORCEMENT 24 HOURS A DAY!
- (2023 Vision) As a member of the city's primary legislative body, the Council, Chris will represent the interests of all the residents citywide by using feedback metrics.
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) RESIDENTS FROM ALL FOUR WARDS CONTACT COUNCILMEMBER CHRIS FOR VARIOUS ISSUES AND THOSE ISSUES ARE FILTERED TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT. EXAMPLES ARE ISSUES THAT NEED TO GO TO THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OR ASSISTANCE WITH BUILDING PERMITS AND SHED REQUIREMENTS. CHRIS WILL HELP, JUST REACH OUT AND ASK.
- (2023 Vision) Chris wants to work with the Mayor and all members of the council for the betterment of the City of Tonawanda, putting residents first.
- (2024/2025 Accomplishment)
CHRIS COLLABORATED WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR TO:
RENAME THE MORGAN STREET PARK THE “Linda S. Foels Park”
ALLOW TONAWANDA SOCCER CLUB TO PUT A SHED AT IVES PARK
NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND TONAWANDA FOOTBALL CLINIC
ADJUST THE PARKING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW ON STREET PARKING
LIVE STREAM THE INFORMAL PART OF THE COUNCIL MEETING IN ADDITION TO THE FORMAL PART OF THE MEETING
Chris talking about his Visions
Taxes and Home Reassessment
(2023 Vision) As the Second Ward Councilperson, I will hold the line on spending and aggressively manage how taxpayer money is being spent. (2024/2025 Accomplishment) I ACTUALLY EXAMINE THE BUDGET!
(2023 Vision) I pay the same taxes as everyone else. I get hit with the same tax increases as everyone else. I am a working-class citizen like everyone else. I will protect your money the same way I protect mine, by asking questions and requiring justification before spending tax dollars on frivolous matters. (2024/2025 Accomplishment) I ASK INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS ON WHERE OUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT!
(2023 Vision) I will also work to fix the unfair home reassessments. I too was hit unfairly by this latest home reassessment and am in the process of formally fighting it like so many of our residents.
I thank all the volunteers that work on the City of Tonawanda Board of Assessment Review. (2024/2025 Accomplishment) I'VE MET WITH RESIDENTS AND REVIEWED THEIR HOME SURVEYS AND LOOKED FOR SQUARE FOOTAGE ERRORS. SOMETIMES WE HAVE POSITIVE RESULTS.
Parking Regulations
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) THIS WAS CHANGED IN THE CITY ORDIANCES AT THE MARCH 19, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING! PROMISE MADE...PROMISE KEPT!
Section 62-112 of the City Charter governs the overnight parking ban stating, “The standing of vehicles between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on all city streets is hereby prohibited from October 1 through March 31.”
With no flexibility to adjust the regulation in October or March, there is an added undue burden to the residents that need on-street parking.
Conversely, during the Blizzard of 2022, the storm was predicted days in advance. Yet, there was no mechanism in place to ban parking during daytime hours during the two days of the storm.
This is an easy fix that can be changed with nothing more than an amendment to the language in the section. As a council member, I will argue for this change, allowing residents to use the city streets that our tax dollars pay for, more days per year for on-street parking.
My position on the matter appears to have a simple fix, but the Second Ward needs a councilperson that will sit down and do the hard-work.
Sidewalks and Speeding on Side Streets
(2023 Vision) Taking a stroll down a city street shouldn’t require you to leave your stroller or wagon at home because the sidewalks are too cracked and damaged to push or pull a wheeled device. Trip hazards, cracks, bumps, and improper sloping should not be present on city sidewalks. Sometimes, these issues are caused by construction vehicles, utility companies, or other contractors. As a council member, I will hold private entities that break our sidewalks responsible for cost of repair, so residents do not use tax dollars to fix these issues. If a sidewalk becomes defective by some other means, like tree roots or age-crumbling, I pledge to ensure our city services will make the necessary repairs within a reasonable amount of time from the date they are first notified. I will ensure our sidewalks are reinstalled, reconstructed, repaved, or repaired to ensure a safe pedestrian infrastructure. This will help our city continue to achieve walkability. (2024/2025 Accomplishment) LOOK AROUND THE SECOND WARD AND SIDEWALKS ARE CONTINUALLY
FIXED. THERE IS ALSO A NEW PROCESS OF FIXING SLIGHTLY RAISED SIDEWALKS BY
SHAVING THEM INSTEAD OF A FULL REPLACEMENT. THIS FIXES THE ISSUE AND SAVES
MONEY…A WIN-WIN!
(2023 Vision) Many residents are concerned with the speeding that happens in our city, especially along side streets where children walk and play. I plan on addressing the speeding on interior residential roadways in addition to other traffic concerns. (2024/2025 Accomplishment) THE CITY POLICE SPEED TRAILER IS DEPLOYED WHEN REQUESTED. PLEASE REACH OUT AND WE CAN WORK ON IT TOGETHER!
Resident Feedback
(2023 Vision)
Political success is measured by the resident’s satisfaction. It is crucial for city government to know if the residents are receiving the level of service they expect from their elected officials. Residents should be able to access government programs and their local representatives with little effort.
One of my visions is to create a City Satisfaction Survey (CSS) to assess various areas of city services, community engagement and programs, atmosphere, amenities, and overall thoughts of what can be done better. I believe this is an important service for residents and visitors.
With all the easily accessible free online data tools on today’s market, this City Satisfaction Survey (CSS) can be completed with no cost to taxpayers.
Everyone is a stakeholder in our city. Renters, homeowners, visiting friends and family, tourists, consumers, and anyone that enters our city should have a say in city government. While residents have a right to express their ideas and say through voting, everyone else can voice their opinion through the City Satisfaction Survey (CSS). For example, this portal will allow visitors to report potholes, a resident to report an overgrown tree near power lines, or a tourist to comment on the bike path. This information can then be directed to the proper department for consideration.
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) THIS IDEA IS STILL IN THE WORKS...FUNDING IS NEEDED SO THIS DOES NOT GET ADDED TO THE BUDGET. ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET COULD CAUSE TAX INCREASES AND THIS IS WANT, NOT A NEED. WHILE THE IDEA IS GREAT, I WILL NOT PASS THE COST ON TO TAXPAYERS. NOW THAT'S RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT!
Adaptability
(2023 Vision)
From the Blizzard of 2022 to digitalizing city services, being able to adapt to change is crucial to providing the best possible services to residents of our great city. One of my visions is to provide real-time information to residents that opt in to receive notifications.
My idea is simple: provide a free service that delivers text messages and email messages to residents to alert them to incidents that may affect personal safety, emergency road closures, police and fire emergencies, and adverse weather conditions.
This mass notification system will provide real-time communication to any resident that opts in, allowing for the rapid deployment of essential information. Our community can expect to receive quick and accurate information during urgent situations.
Mobile Alert Example: 
(2024/2025 Accomplishment) THIS IDEA IS STILL IN THE WORKS...FUNDING IS NEEDED SO THIS DOES NOT GET ADDED TO THE BUDGET. ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET COULD CAUSE TAX INCREASES AND THIS IS WANT, NOT A NEED. WHILE THE IDEA IS GREAT, I WILL NOT PASS THE COST ON TO TAXPAYERS. NOW THAT'S RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT!
Working Together and Putting Residents First
As Chairperson of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Initiatives
and Community Engagement, Chris works with the Mayor to create and implement
programs that benefit all residents of our city. These programs are non-partisan
for the betterment of the city. They include the Veteran of the Month Program,
the City Open House and Touch-a-Truck, and the Mayor’s Summer Reading Program.
Chris’ goal is to enrich city outreach programs while not creating a cost to
taxpayers. As a disabled veteran, Chris personally oversees the Veteran of Month
program. Chris runs these programs with the Mayor with a zero budget, yet still
provides great opportunities for residents to enjoy these programs.
As an elected member of the Council, Chris will continue to create programs for the City with little or no-cost, while providing services to all residents. Chris believes in putting people first.
