Difficult financial decisions loom in the City of Tonawanda

There's no one reason that the City of Tonawanda finds itself in precarious financial position.

Blame its shrinking population base. Or the decades-long flight of industry and jobs. There's the lack of land ready for new development. Or blame its status as a city, which requires paid police and fire service, along with rising health insurance costs that aren't offset by employee contributions. And there is flat state aid.

Whatever the reason, a 42-acre spread of vacant land along Wheeler Street might best represent its problem.

The former Spaulding Fibre manufacturing site, which opened in 1912, was the city's largest taxpayer for decades. It once had 1,500 workers, and its 250-foot smokestack dominated the skyline. But the plant closed in 1992.

Read more: https://buffalonews.com/2019/08/18/hard-financial-decisions-loom-in-city-of-tonawanda/