Bee Heard

(Editor's note: Call The Bee at 632-0390 and record a one-minute comment on our Bee Heard line. It gives readers an opportunity to comment quickly and candidly on items of local or regional interest. Callers do not have to identify themselves and no callers' names will be used. In the interest of fairness and good taste, The Bee will not publish derogatory or insulting comments. All comments are by our readers and are subject to editing.

.I see Supervisor Mohan is finishing next year's budget. What he is proposing is to bring the town surplus account down to 10 percent of the budget. This is the absolute minimum recommended by financial experts if the town wants to maintain the highest credit rating. This will give us a very small cut in taxes with a small increase in spending. It will leave nothing to cover any unnecessary, unforeseen emergency expenses.

.Amherst taxpayers should remember Amherst Supervisor Satish Mohan's much publicized but, as usual, unresearched and unsubstantiated claims last year that there was a $4 million deficit left to him. This points to two very troubling and costly aspects of Mohan's style of governance. Now, Mohan has suddenly found $7 million in reserves to tap into in order to not raise taxes. This cuts Amherst taxpayers' reserve to only 10 percent, which leaves no wiggle room in the event of an unsuspecting storm. He still doesn't understand the budget process which explains in part why Mohan has no sound financial plan in place, other than little sound bites about turning reserves back over to the people.

.Has the town board ever voted on Mr. Ward's amendment to limit the terms of office for committee members? This is a very much-needed ruling.

.Was it an oversight that for homecoming South was in black and white and mixed with ads on the page, and when East and North have their homecoming it is in color and also on the front page? (Editor's note: There are several restrictions that govern which inside news pages may have full color. It is not available on every page. South's homecoming has been featured in smaller color photos on the front page for the last two years as well as a large color photo on the front page in 2004.)

.If we look at Mohan's first two years as supervisor, there is zero evidence of any meaningful accomplishments. His unwarranted attacks on our police and highway departments, fire companies, IDA and assessor are incredible. Many of his promises were made because they sounded good.

.I've just read the article about Walgreens being ready to move. It's not necessary to have a huge drugstore at that corner. It would be very detrimental to the area; we do not need another huge drugstore there. We have plenty throughout the town. I can't believe the planning board would allow this to happen.

.We live on North Ellicott Street in the Village of Williamsville. Something really needs to be done as far as the people who race up and down our street between 7 and 8:30 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m. and those who roll through the stop signs at Belmont and North Ellicott Street and Eagle and North Ellicott Street. The police should pull these people over and issue tickets; they could make a lot of money on those violators. We have a lot of kids on our street, too; I would hate to see something happen, and something should be done.

.With 19 department heads, each having its own procedures for purchasing, it's no wonder the Town of Amherst overpays for supplies and other purchases. Supervisor Mohan's provision in the budget for a purchasing director will more than save by many times the cost of his salary. The supervisor and comptroller have too many responsibilities and cannot possibly streamline town government costs.