Amherst Needs New Leadership
Letter to @TheAmherstBee February 27, 2025
By Dan Gagliardo
Endorsed Republican Candidate for Amherst Supervisor
Whether you’re a town supervisor, governor or president, an elected official should always remember that the town, the state and the country belong to the people. People shouldn’t work for the government’s benefit. The government should work for the people’s benefit. Unfortunately, that has not been the case in Amherst for the last eight years.
Amherst should not be the supervisor’s town to do as he wants. This is our community, and your voice, your thoughts and your concerns should be considered just as important as those of any elected official. My name is Dan Gagliardo and that’s why I’m running and have been endorsed by the Republican Party for Amherst Town Supervisor. Unlike national campaigns, where there are so many issues, local campaigns should be about the people, you and me, your neighbor, your children, your grandchildren. It shouldn’t be about what political party you belong to, but who will work in your best interest.
I have worked in city government, but more importantly I have been a successful small businessman for over 24 years. Why is that important? In order to be successful in business, you have to listen and work with all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Shouldn’t a town supervisor be able to do the same?
I want to open the supervisor’s office to all residents and show respect and courtesy at town board meetings. Allow your ideas to be respected and the time you take to share them appreciated. I’d like to bring people together and treat Amherst like a community again, instead of a large city. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can, and hearing about your concerns for the future of our special community.
Dan Gagliardo
Steinway Court
Amherst, NY
Amherst is a large town of 53.6 square miles with a population of over 131,000 residents who have many different needs. The needs of Eggertsville, Getzville, Snyder, Swormville, East Amherst, and the Village of Williamsville are each unique. Unfortunately, over the last eight years, our elected town board has reacted to these needs in the same way, without much regard for our residents’ best interest.
After the overwhelming 11.4% tax increase, which was expedited in a special meeting after the 2023 election, many more of us began to scrutinize the current leadership of the Amherst Town Board. We’ve discovered a serious lack of transparency and many excuses for wasteful spending. Good examples of this are the bloated six-figure town salaries such as the senior recreation specialist and ice facility manager at over $130,000 and plans to construct a new community center at 1350 Eggert Road when we already have two existing Amherst community centers.
Sadly, our residents have not felt supported as their concerns continue to fall on the deaf ears of town board members. It seems the priority of the current Board is not the Town of Amherst. For example, we have many residents in Eggertsville with serious concerns about chronic flooding in their neighborhood. Still a plan to construct this new community center continues knowing the impact this will have on the Eggert Road residents as well as all Amherst taxpayers. We have the opportunity to make a change and bring in new leadership that puts Amherst residents first.
My name is Mary Dormer and I’m running for Amherst Town Board this year. When elected, I will fight for the hard-working people of this town and put their interests first. Let’s return common sense to Amherst government.
Mary Dormer
Getzville, NY
What's Really Best for Amherst
Letter to @TheAmherstBee March 6, 2025
By Mary Dormer Endorsed Republican Candidate Town Board
Supervisor’s Address Rings Hollow
Letter to @TheAmherstBee: February 27, 2025
By John Trabert
Endorsed Republican Candidate for Amherst Town Board
On 01/31/25, Brian Kulpa gave his final annual address as Town Supervisor at a Chamber of Commerce gathering. The Supervisor thanked his governmental partners, his department heads and developers. He emphasized that it was important to listen to these parties to make Amherst a great place to live.
Mr. Kulpa seemed to have left out, what I feel is the most important group. The taxpayers and residents of this town. He made no mention of you and I, the everyday people who pay our taxes, maintaining our property, obey the law and pay his salary. Unfortunately, this is not the first time he’s failed to listen or show respect to the residents, as evidenced by the continued lack of transparency in his administration.
Mr. Kulpa touted that the current tax rate is at its lowest since 2017. It’s easy to keep the tax rate lower when you raise assessments, as a lower tax rate does not always equate to lower taxes. In just one-year my general town tax went up sixty-percent. So, the 2.4 tax rate although factual is very misleading.
Another item Kulpa didn’t mentioned was the Town’s excessive debt, which stood at almost $200-million as of 2023. From 2019 to 2023 the town debt increased by over $75-million. Principal and interest payments alone in 2023 were $17,332,142. What was that 11.4% tax increase for?
Amherst simply can't continue to spend itself into further debt, which is just one reason why I’m running for the Amherst Town Board. Just look at the City of Dunkirk, which recently proposed an 84 percent property tax hike because their local leaders ignored their responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer’s dollars. If elected, I will help run an open, honest and fiscally responsible government, because we deserve that.
John Trabert
Snyder, NY
AMHERST REPUBLICANS ENDORSE 2025 CANDIDATES FOR TOWN BOARD OFFICES AND ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE
John Trabert-Council, Mary Dormer-Council, Dan Gagliardo-Supervisor, Christina Coyle-Lenz- County Legislature-5th District, Chris McMaster-Justice
Amherst, N. Y. - The Amherst Republican Committee Members voted this week to endorse their candidates for TOWN SUPERVISOR, 2 TOWN COUNCIL SEATS, TOWN JUSTICE, AND ERIE COUNTY
LEGISLATURE.
“We interviewed over 15 citizen/taxpayers from Amherst who reached out to the Amherst Republican Committee seeking our endorsement for local offices. It was an unprecedented response from political newcomers, who expressed their concerns about the direction Amherst town government has taken in recent years. The taxpayers of Amherst are fed-up and yearning for change in their local Town Board!
“Our 2025 endorsed Republican Amherst Town Team is excited to offer the voters of Amherst a clear choice this year. Our platform of transparency, fiscal responsibility, governmental efficiency, end to wasteful spending and competent performance and service to the Amherst citizen/taxpayer taxes, are the issues that need to and will be addressed. We will be the agents for change in Amherst. We will bring common sense thinking to the Amherst Town Board!” said Amherst Republican Chairman, Bob Davis.
“Dan Gagliardo, the owner of D’Avolio restaurants in Amherst, was overwhelmingly endorsed for Supervisor by the Republican Committee. Also endorsed for the Town Board - Mary Dormer, a member of the Amherst Concerned Citizens group, and Professional Administrator and adjunct professor at a local University, and John Trabert, a Retired Detective-Sargeant of the Amherst Police Department and USMCR-Veteran. Also endorsed for Town Justice was local attorney, Chris McMaster.
“Out of control spending, high taxes, and lack of transparency by our elected officials will change when we are elected. The citizen/taxpayers of our community deserve better, much better from their public servants! We will make a difference,” said Supervisor candidate, Dan Gagliardo
‘For Erie County Legislature, Republicans endorsed Christine Coyle-Lenz, a faculty member at a local University’, said Chairman Davis.
“Our government is failing to deliver on their responsibility to our constituents. We’re stepping forward to serve our community with a deep interest and capacity to apply years of transferrable knowledge and skills acquired from business, consulting, and education,” said Legislature candidate, Christina Coyle-Lenz.
“We are all united in our message of delivering common sense government that will better serve the residents of our Town. We will strive to make Amherst a better place to live, work, play and raise our families,“ said Supervisor candidate Dan Gagliardo.