Ken Tompkins Wants to Bring Business Accumen to City Council Chambers Here

Ken Tompkins wants to use common sense and business ideas to local government.

 

It’s Saturday night and Ken Tompkins, candidate for Niagara Falls City Council has a Charlie horse in his leg. He’s been walking the streets of the city since the early morning, knocking on doors and listening to people’s concerns about the sorry state of the municipality around them. 

“It’s the only way to do it, they tell me,” easing himself into a chair and rubbing his ankle. “You’ve got to walk and you’ve got to talk.”

For the first time candidate, the shoe leather campaign has been a labor of love. He’s serious, but he’s having fun.

“I enjoy going out and talking to people, and I’m getting a really good response out there,” Tompkins said. “We’ll see on Election Day which levers they pull.”

A lifelong resident of Niagara Falls, Tompkins said his family’s roots here go back to 1916, when the front page of the old Niagara Falls Gazette proudly trumpeted the fact that residents lived in “The Fastest Growing City in the United States.”

“I’ve seen my friends move out of the area, seen family members move to outlying areas, and it bothers me” he said. “I will do everything I can to bring this city back to a thriving and populous community once again.”

Tomkins is old enough to remember when the thriving city still had a prosperous air. Today, those days are long gone, he said.

“I’m 53 years old and I remember when Niagara Falls was a great place. Now it’s not so great,” Tompkins said. “And I don’t think there’s a quick fix. It took a long time for things to get like they are and you’re not going to turn them around overnight.”

Likewise, the voters he’s talking to on his extended meet and greet expeditions are largely dissatisfied. Asked what the overriding theme he was getting from talking to average Niagara Falls residents, Tompkins summed it up in a single word.

“Change,” he said. “The people want a change. That’s what I’m getting.”

Tompkins’ family’s history of doing business in the city spans nearly a century. His maternal grandparents opened Fratello Brothers grocery in 1916, while his father operated C&I Roofing until his retirement in the 1990s. Tompkins’ uncle Mel owned Thompson Home Improvement, while his other uncle, Bob, owned Saraceni Drug Store. Today, his own brother Will carries on that family tradition as a co-owner of Pine Pharmacy in City Market, while other brother, Dan, owns Wheatfield Physical Therapy.

Growing up in such an environment, it was only natural that Tompkins would enter business himself. He works as operations manager at H.W. Bryk & Sons. In his work, he negotiate contracts, make purchases, and ensure that our team is fully trained.

“I compare what I do to what is missing in our city: common business sense,” he said. “As a purchaser, I see how easy it can be to spend money on things that look good at the moment. As a smart purchaser, I routinely analyze the future impact of each expenditure to ensure long-term feasibility.”

Tomkins said he would actively vote against and work to eliminate health insurance benefits for part-time council members and lifetime benefits for politicians.

“We have a $7.6 million deficit and an administration that plans to raise taxes on individuals who are sometimes working two jobs to pay their bills,” he said. “We need to eliminate this benefit as in most cases, it’s simply a perk, not a need.”

Creating a business friendly environment is also crucial, he added.

“I will work to make sure that our city government is one that openly welcomes new business and residents who can be added to our tax rolls,” Tomkins said. “We cannot continue to burden those who are living in this city and already paying the highest taxes in New York State.”

The squandering of nearly $200 million in casino revenue should almost be the subject of a criminal investigation, he said.

“Casino money just cannot continue to be free money spent unaccountably,” Tompkins said. “I will push to have a clear evaluation plan for distribution of these funds in order to ensure that there is a true return on investment.”

Tompkins said that much of what he hears while campaigning door to door is directly aimed at the policies of Mayor Paul Dyster.

“We do not need expensive studies to tell us why the water pipes have frozen or how to separate garbage,” he said. “We need realistic plans and resolutions using resources we have in place. I will vote to ensure unneeded studies are not funded and residents’ needs are put first.

“Currently, common sense is absent in city government,” Tompkins added. “Politics is not a career, but a calling, with the greater good of all your constituents at heart, not just your political allies and donors.”

The candidate told the Niagara Falls Reporter that, while the job of rebuilding the city won’t be easy, it can be done so long as a sound plan is put into place and enough strong willed individuals commit to seeing it through.

“It’s time to roll up our sleeves and rebuild Niagara Falls, both structurally and financially,” Tompkins said. “Residents simply do not have the right leaders in their corner, and developers are shut out or given impossible hurdles to overcome. We need to embrace these opportunities to make certain we bring more variety and jobs to our city.”

Tompkins lives in the DeVeaux section with his wife, the former Terri Ortt. He is the father of three teenage daughters and two adult stepchildren, and a large part of his motivation in running for public office has to do with their future.

“I’d like to see them stay here, but what would they be staying for?” Tomkins said. “I would like to see all of our children enjoy a vibrant future here. This city was built on blue-collar individuals choosing to live here; it’s time we return to that mindset.”