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Cheektowaga board rejects $2.435M sanitary-sewer bond package after debate over term and costs
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Summary
After a public hearing and detailed presentations on sewer repairs tied to a DEC consent order, the Town Board failed in roll-call votes to approve two resolutions that would have authorized up to $2.435 million in bonds for sanitary-sewer improvements.
The Cheektowaga Town Board on March 10 considered a $2,435,000 borrowing package to finance sanitary-sewer repairs and equipment but rejected the bond measures in successive roll-call votes.
Town staff and the supervisor had outlined a breakdown of the proposed spending: $435,000 for a television inspection (TV) truck to inspect sewer lines; $500,000 for repairs in Sewer Shed 9 (William Street neighborhood); $500,000 for lateral repairs in Sewer Shed 3 tied to a DEC consent order; $350,000 for lining in the Ivanhoe/Egert neighborhoods; $250,000 for pump-station assessments; and smaller sums for repairs at specific lift stations.
The discussion highlighted two cross-cutting concerns: (1) the DEC consent order requires progress on lateral repairs and inspections, and state WQIP grants (the town referenced a $5,000,000 WQIP-3 grant that has been used for related work) do not fully cover all identified needs; and (2) the amortization period for any borrowing (board members referenced 10-, 15- and, confusingly in the record, 40-year figures) strongly affects the interest cost.
Finance staff provided illustrative comparisons showing that a 10-year structure would reduce total interest relative to longer terms, but would raise annual debt-service requirements. Several board members pressed for a shorter amortization to limit long-term interest; others noted the town's constrained capital budgets and the practical need to spread costs. The board took roll-call votes on two related items (Resolution 2026-146, the order after public hearing, and Resolution 2026-147, the bond authorization delegating issuance to the supervisor). Both measures were defeated in roll call and therefore will not proceed as written.
What the board cited as next steps: staff said they would continue working with the town's grant writer and the DEC, finalize a clear amortization recommendation with the comptroller, and return with refined financing options and options that better match the town's fiscal capacity.
Representative quote: "The half a million dollars for Sewer Shed 9 helps us with sanitary sewer repairs being holes," the supervisor said in his overview of project priorities. "The half 1,000,000 gets us into the lateral side of the DEC consent order."
