AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Town of Amherst officially welcomed three new leaders during its bi-annual reorganization meeting, Monday night, marking a new chapter for one of Western New York's largest municipalities.
The ceremony introduced a new supervisor and two new board members to the town board. The meeting's primary purpose was to initiate reappointments for various roles within the town government.
WATCH: Town of Amherst swears in new supervisor, two board members as residents call for transparency
Despite being a new board, residents maintain the same expectations for their local government. I spoke with longtime Amherst residents about what they hope to see progress with this new leadership, and both expressed hope for more transparency.
Dennis Blackwell said he hopes the new leadership will bring positive changes.
"Hopefully, with [Shawn]Lavin in here, we can have more transparency and see better results," Blackwell said. "The high taxes in Amherst. Everything's going up, but they've got to come down. They got to look at the spending too."
Andrea Morgante from the Amherst Concerned Citizens Group outlined her organization's priorities for the new administration.
"We hope he will live up to his promises that he made during his campaign and work for the people and not for the developers," Morgante said. "He will concentrate on the infrastructure which is needed. Crime needs to be addressed as well. That's what we're interested in."
Morgante added that the Amherst Concerned Citizens Group is not interested in building more parks but making improvements that benefit residents.
The evening also marked a historic milestone for the town. Amherst elected its first Black board member in its more than 200-year history. Newly elected Town Board Member John Davis reflected on the significance of this achievement.
"To be the first, I mean, it's overwhelming sometimes when I really think about it," Davis said. "People have gone through so much. I think about my parents coming through in the 50s and 60s. My father was a part of the integration of high schools. His lived experience, my mom's lived experience, is so much different than mine. I didn't have that same struggle. I was able to be in a community that accepted my experiences and my qualifications. I was qualified for the job, but being African-American and qualified, I mean, it's just a cherry on top. It's the Great American story."
Along with Davis, it was also day one for Jack Kavanaugh, who is also the executive director of Western New York's Gay and Lesbian Youth Services, or GLYS.
It was also Town Supervisor Shawn Lavin's first day in office. 7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley sat down with Lavin to discuss his new administration. You can watch her report below and read more here.
