Keeping Cheektowaga Moving Forward
The town has launched a long-overdue effort to repave 49 local roads, making it one of the largest single-year paving programs in recent memory. While road maintenance is a routine municipal responsibility, this year’s work follows years of political gridlock that left critical infrastructure needs sidelined.
In prior years, Cheektowaga’s ability to fund projects was constrained by division on the town board. The previous Republican majority refused to approve borrowing for routine infrastructure projects such as paving and drainage. For municipalities that rely on bonding to complete large-scale work, that refusal did not merely slow progress — it stopped it.
As a result, planned improvements were shelved and roads continued to deteriorate, costing taxpayers more in the long run.
That changed in January 2026 when voters restored Democratic control and, with it, the ability to govern effectively. With the deadlock broken, the town moved quickly to approve funding and implement a full paving schedule, delivering on a core promise to get the town back on track.
The paving program is being carried out in four phases and includes 49 streets across every corner of Cheektowaga. This is not a selective investment. It is a townwide commitment. Milling is already underway on Heather Road and Hillsboro in the northwest section of town, providing early evidence that this effort is more than talk.
Many of these roads have not been repaved in over a decade, and Western New York’s freeze-thaw cycles have worsened conditions, leading to potholes, cracking, drainage failures, and increased vehicle damage for residents.
The work includes milling and resurfacing, repairing road foundations, and addressing storm and sanitary sewer issues where needed. These are not cosmetic fixes. They are necessary upgrades that will save money over time by preventing even more costly repairs in the future.
Residents should expect some short-term inconvenience, including detours, noise, and temporary access limitations. However, the long-term payoff is clear: safer roads, improved drainage, and reduced wear and tear on vehicles.
There are also signs that progress does not have to come at the expense of cooperation. At the April 28 council meeting, all seven board members — five Democrats and two Republicans — voted to eliminate the comptroller position, a move expected to save taxpayers more than six figures annually. The position failed to justify its cost, and the unanimous vote confirmed concerns many had already raised.
At the same time, some criticism has been directed toward conduct at recent meetings. Free speech applies to everyone, including committee members and residents who are also taxpayers. No single individual controls what others say, nor should they. What matters is that rules are applied consistently, and they have been.
As for ongoing investigations, those matters will be handled through the proper legal process rather than through political talking points.
The difference this year is simple: action over obstruction. Forty-nine streets, four phases, and real work is already underway. That is what getting the town back on track actually looks like.
— Lynn Dearmyer
Democratic Committee Chair, Cheektowaga
