A dispute about property assessments has turned the election for Third Ward alderman into a three-way race in the City of Tonawanda.

James P. Kossow, Richard A. Slisz and Dale R. Peter are vying for the seat, one of four Council openings each with two-year terms.

Kossow, the incumbent Democrat, voted for a complete property reassessment in 2008, enraging residents of his district’s affluent River Edge community, which saw assessments and taxes skyrocket. Slisz, a River Edge resident, has been a leading critic of the reassessments.

A former Erie County legislator, Slisz, a Democrat, said his grievance goes beyond the reassessment process to how the city is being run. He cited the lack of development on the waterfront and in the business district, abandoned city properties and duplication of services. If elected, Slisz hopes to transfer maintenance of Niawanda Park to Erie County and support a new residential development near Veteran’s Park.

“[The Council] needs to build the tax base because they’re killing us,” Slisz said. “They keep raising taxes, and with the [property revaluation], they’re going to raise it more.”

A Council member since 2001, Kossow hopes to win another term to see the completion of several projects, including the redevelopment of the former Spaulding Fibre property and the proposed residential development in Veteran’s Park.

Despite criticism, Kossow stands by the reassessment project.

“We had to do it,” said Kossow, who works in the banking industry. “It’s been almost 20 years since the last reassessment was done. River Edge was greatly impacted, no question about it, but I think it was done fairly.”

Riding a wave of discontent over the reassessments, Slisz defeated Kossow in the Democratic primary in September. Kossow vowed to stay in the race to the end and has secured the Independence and Working Family party lines.

Peter, the Republican and Conservative nominee, knows he faces an uphill battle, since the Third Ward has more Democrats than Republicans, but the retired insurance agent and political science major hopes to score an upset. If elected, he is determined to lower the “punitive” tax rate.

In other Council races, Republican Charles M. Gilbert is challenging incumbent Democrat Colleen R. Perkins for First Ward alderman. Gilbert also has the Independence line, while Perkins has Conservative and Working Families endorsements.

Former Alderman Blake R. Boyle, a Republican, is running against incumbent Democrat Gary C. Waterhouse for the Second Ward seat in a rematch from two years ago that Boyle lost. Waterhouse has the Conservative and Working Families party endorsements, while Boyle holds the Independence line.

Two newcomers, Democrat William R. Poole and Republican Steven M. Sommers, are running for the open Council seat in the Fourth Ward. The incumbent, Rick D. Davis, is running for mayor against Ronald

J. Pilozzi.