Brian Kulpa is all about his developer buddies and not the interests of the neighborhoods his projects impact.
We saw it first in Williamsville, when, as mayor, he ignored the stiff opposition of the local neighborhood to the Natale high-density, high-rise condos abutting the Depot; that one involved public park land swaps, favoring the developer and not the local community.
At Boulevard Mall, he's claimed a “blighted” retail area - the result of an economic downturn most areas experienced during the pandemic - to invoke urban redevelopment law and highly dubious eminent domain takings (the court is even in his loop) to enable his developer pals to go forward, of course with town taxpayer monies greasing the way.
People are also reading…
Now he's broken the state property tax cap by imposing an 11.5% tax hike. He wants the town: to own the street lighting (questionable payback in the distant future), to hire more police (Amherst is already a very safe place) and to rush ahead with his developers’ grandiose plans at a time when economic conditions are not favorable.
Meanwhile in the more sane adjacent Town of Cheektowaga, less than a 2% hike is in the works and it is receiving valid scrutiny.
I foresee Kulpa's comeuppance in the next cycle.
James Rauch
Eggertsville