How many more former Fredonia officials need to come forward and tell the current Village Board it made mistakes? From this perspective, there has been a lot of inaction over three decades that finally spilled this spring out thanks to years of overly optimistic budgeting while being overstaffed.

It all adds up to a gut-punching 60% property tax increase.

For all intents and purposes, the municipality currently serves about 6,500 residents. The other 3,000 are considered part-time while learning at the State University of New York campus but are counted as part of the U.S. Census.

Despite the consistently shrinking numbers, most elected village officials have wanted it all. Their own services, police patrols, emergency and fire and a failing water system.

All that comes at a high cost.

Fredonia’s problem, like every other entity in Chautauqua County, comes down to revenues. Since the village is not growing, income is stagnant while expenses keep growing.

Obviously, there are other bleak factors. The water system is notorious. That means industry is not moving in and SUNY enrollment, thanks in part to unreliable water, has been decreasing.

Former Mayor Athanasia Landis was the most recent critic to come before the board Tuesday. “Instead of assuming responsibility for what you have done, you decided to blame previous administrations for not raising taxes,” she said. “Let’s put that theory to rest. To begin with, taxes were raised for all five previous years. This one will be the sixth.”

Every former village elected official and leader in the last 30 years has looked the other way when it comes to the problems. No one has attempted to fix anything.

Can anyone name a true accomplishment by the village government during this time period? We cannot, unless you factor in the winning of grant funding that has dried up.

Fredonia must quit fretting. What is needed are solutions for the struggling municipality — not criticism or blame.

We have heard all the complaints for far too long. It proves that talk is cheap. Running a troubled government, obviously, is not.