Arkwright is being proactive regarding a new town hall. That’s a credit to current town Supervisor Brian McAvoy.

But it is clear that the price tag and timeline associated with a new structure has been getting out of whack. To many, it seems as though the project has dragged along and the cost could go up to $1.5 million.

As the plan moves forward, the Town Board is asking any residents with questions or comments about the project to attend the next meeting for a public discussion on the matter. That will feature time for public discussion pertaining to the project. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the current Town Hall building.

“At the end of the day, I think we’re going to be better off from a footprint perspective. If the criticism is that it took too long, then it took too long,” McAvoy said. “Seventy years from now, nobody is going to know how long it took to get those built.”

We have said for years that municipalities would be better to share space than to continue to build on their own. When you look around Chautauqua County, there is little private investment. If there is, government subsidies are part of the deal that help in construction and less taxes.

Arkwright, a taxing entity, appears all in on a new town hall. That’s a local decision — as were the windmills that generated new revenue for the municipality. But those big town towers operate thanks to federal subsidies that come from taxpayer dollars.

Those same dollars will potentially build an Arkwright empire. That’s a vicious cycle.