Assemblyman John Ceretto (R, I- Lewiston) and Senator George Maziarz (R, C, I- Newfane) today announced their joint “Empower Niagara” petition drive. The petitions, which call for a Niagara County resident to be appointed to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Board of Trustees, will be hand delivered by Ceretto and Maziarz to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“For too long, the Niagara Power Project has been a piggy bank for Albany, contributing a sizable chunk to NYPA’s $2.56 billion in annual revenues, but offering little to Niagara County residents thanks to Albany control,” said Ceretto. “This petition is an opportunity for our Western New York community to say ‘enough is enough’ and tell Albany that revenues generated in Niagara County should be used to help Niagara County residents instead of being wasted by bureaucrats hundreds of miles away.”
Senator George Maziarz said, “Our residents have known for a long time that the Power Authority needs to pay more attention to the Niagara region. The collective voice of our residents and businesses can be an important tool for bringing change to government. This petition drive is a way to complement our ongoing efforts at the state level to make our concerns about representation known. We will use every means to fight for a better result for Niagara County.”
With the recent revelation that the New York Power Authority is considering plans for a thirty percent rate hike on ‘preferred customers’, Ceretto believes that it is all the more important for Niagara County to have representation on the Board of Trustees.
“The ‘Empower Niagara’ petition allows the citizens of Niagara County to participate in ensuring NYPA and the Governor know the importance of these issues in the region and the determination of Niagara County residents in obtaining representation,” said Ceretto.
In May of this year, Assemblyman Ceretto and Senator Maziarz met with Governor Cuomo’s appointments secretary, Judge Leslie Leach, to discuss filling a current vacancy on the New York Power Authority’s Board of Trustees with a Niagara County resident.
At the meeting, held in the governor’s Capitol office, Ceretto and Maziarz asserted that a local board member would be an asset to the region and would help to ensure that the power produced at the largest electricity-producing plant in the state is used to lower local power costs, create jobs and provide relief to families now paying some of the highest energy rates in the nation.
Anyone interested in passing the petitions, or learning more about the ‘Empower Niagara’ petition, please contact Assemblyman Ceretto’s office at 716-282-6062 or Senator Maziarz’s office at 716-434-0680.
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