Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino is facing scrutiny after trees were removed from his College Avenue property and a neighboring yard. On Thursday, the mayor acknowledged the removals but insisted he had no involvement in ordering the work or determining how it was paid for, stressing that those decisions rest with the city forester.
Restaino has said he did not request the trees be cut down and claimed he was surprised by their removal. He maintained that the city forester – not the mayor’s office – evaluates which trees should come down across Niagara Falls, using a scoring system similar to how street repairs are prioritized.
Questions about the removals have spread across social media and were amplified by reporting from the Niagara Reporter, a frequent critic of Restaino’ administration. The controversy centers on whether taxpayer money covered work on private property. Earlier this year, city lawmakers approved a $20,000 change order to an existing $151,657 tree removal contract with M2 Tree Service of Westfield, NY. The request came from Restaino’s administration, but it did not specify which addresses were affected…