The Town of Cheektowaga’s board spent part of its budget meeting Wednesday in a focused debate over a $57,000 annual donation to FeedMore (Meals on Wheels) that helps provide meal deliveries to homebound seniors.

Council member Pularski argued the town’s contribution is modest in the context of broader budget pressures: "For 89¢ a meal for these 246 seniors, I think it's money well spent," he said, citing the comptroller’s recipient numbers and a per‑meal estimate derived during the meeting.

Council member Jasinski challenged Pularski’s emphasis on the donation by noting prior votes on senior tax exemptions, saying Pularski had previously opposed full senior exemptions. Pularski replied he supports senior services but opposes the tax‑exemption approach as a budget solution.

Town Comptroller Dennis Dombrowski told the board the $57,000 figure was set in prior budgets and is not contractually required, and he offered to seek a program report detailing recipients, administrative costs and how the town’s money is used. "We are not contractually required to give the money that we give to FeedMore," Dombrowski said; several board members requested a presentation or written report from the provider at the next meeting.

Supporters of the donation said many Meals on Wheels recipients rely on the program as their only daily meal and that cutting the grant would shift costs directly to seniors. Opponents argued the town must consider the levy gap and that some services may need to be reduced or restructured.

The board did not take a formal vote on the donation; members asked staff to invite FeedMore to the next meeting or provide written metrics so the board can judge program outcomes before finalizing preliminary budget decisions.