Cheektowaga board deadlocks on 2026 preliminary budget after heated debate over pool cuts and services

The Cheektowaga Town Board left its 2026 preliminary ad valorem budget unchanged after a roll-call vote resulted in the motion being defeated, following extended public comment and council debate over cuts to pools, recreation and services.

Residents and several council members warned that proposed reductions — and the potential closing of at least one municipal pool — would ripple through programs such as swim lessons and youth recreation. "When you close a pool, all those services have to shift to another pool," a council member said during the discussion, noting existing pools are already at capacity. Public speaker Sandy Prusclak questioned why the budget hearing remained open and said earlier actions had "effectively silenced residents' taxpayer voices."

The board presented a preliminary budget that included appropriations of $95,525,007.51 and other revenues described in the resolution packet. After a period of public comment and back-and-forth among members about whether specific line items (for example, swim lessons and hockey salaries) had actually been cut, a roll-call vote on Resolution 2025-779 was taken and the chair declared the motion defeated.

Council members and advisory committee participants argued over trade-offs between keeping services and meeting tax caps. One resident criticized spending $10,500 on assistance to another municipality's legal challenge, calling it "a complete embarrassment" compared with program funding needs. Council members defended line-item choices, saying some rumored cuts (for example, swim lessons and hockey salaries) were not reflected in the published budget; others said closing a pool would produce unintentional program losses even when line items remain.

Separately, the board approved the 2026 benefit-basis budget for special districts under Resolution 2025-780, which included appropriations of $18,068,325 and a total tax levy of $14,323,915. The supervisor was directed to spread that assessment on the 2026 tax roll.

Board members said they would continue to pursue options to balance services and fiscal constraints, including revisiting fee schedules, exploring property sales and watching revenue from the newly adopted hotel bed tax. The meeting closed with reminders of upcoming community events and administrative follow-up on budget items.