Skip to main content
User account menu
Log in
Erie County, New York
Main navigation
Your Government
Our Services
Other Government Services
Home
101 Ways Erie County Government Serves You
Download 101 Ways Erie County Government Serves You as a pdf
Parks
Image
1. Maintains a system of nine county parks, four natural habitat areas and 3,500 acres of county forest land
Image
2. Provides year-round recreation for county residents
Image
3. Operates two golf courses and two beaches
Image
4. Hosts festivals and events for people of all ages
Image
5. Protects regionally important areas of scenic, environmental and cultural significance
Health
Image
6. Provides free testing for sexually transmitted diseases
Image
7. Tests for lead in old homes and provides services for children with lead poisoning
Image
8. Conducts health inspections of restaurants, swimming pools, summer camps, beaches and other recreational venues
Image
9. Monitors and controls insect-borne diseases through the vector control program
Image
10. Provides free rabies clinics and sends specimens for rabies testing
Commission on the Status of Women
Image
11. Collaborates with community organizations to maximize services for women and girls
Image
12. Publishes data on women and girls to target need for education, policy recommendations and services
Image
13. Runs board of community stakeholders
Image
14. Creating a Domestic Violence Tribute Garden in Isleview Park
Image
15. Sponsors an annual Pay Equity Event to raise awareness
Public Works
Image
16. Maintains over a thousand miles of roadways and hundreds of bridges and culverts
Image
17. Executes major capital projects every year
Image
18. Manages all county-owned buildings and grounds
Image
19. Regulates all commercial weighing and measuring devices, including gas and fuel pumps and meters in the county
Image
20. Maintains county-owned fleet of vehicles
Real Property Tax Services
Image
21. Collects real property taxes for 269,773 parcels in Erie County
Image
22. Maintains current real property tax maps and data
Image
23. Conducts annual in-rem property sales
Image
24. Monitors PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreements through the local ECIDA
Image
25. Works with municipalities across the county to keep tax assessments current
Senior Services
Image
26. Engages, provides programming and advocates for adults over 60 especially low income, minority and disabled elderly persons
Image
27. Provides resources and programming for caregivers
Image
28. Offers fitness classes and nutrition programs to keep seniors fit, active and healthy
Image
29. Coordinates the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Image
30. Provides transportation for seniors through the "Going Places" van service
Emergency Services
Image
31. Supports and trains Erie County's 97 fire departments
Image
32. Manages emergency operations during county-wide disasters
Image
33. Maintains a county-wide radio system and dispatches all ambulance services in Erie County
Image
34. Trains all ambulance crews, EMTs and parademics
Image
35. Manages Local Emergency Planning Committee to coordinate services and personnel for future disasters
Environment & Planning
Image
36. Manages county-wide agricultural plan
Image
37. Maintains sewers and wastewater treatment
Image
38. Curates the process of funding local arts and cultural groups
Image
39. Coordinates regional planning and economic development with other local governments and agencies
Image
40. Funds community planning and housing projects and provides funding for small business loans and start-ups
Medicaid Inspector General
Image
41. Roots out waste, fraud and abuse of $1 billion in Medicaid funding in Erie County
Image
42. Actively investigates and audits Medicaid providers
Image
43. Produces reports regarding Medicaid usage in Erie County
Image
44. Maintains confidential tip line for reporting waste, fraud or abuse
Image
45. Works closely with NYS Medicaid Inspector General's Office
Probation
Image
46. Provides probation services to all Erie County courts
Image
47. Manages cases for nearly 10,000 adults and juveniles
Image
48. Operates an Alternatives to Incarceration Program
Image
49. Coordinates with social workers to supervise incarcerated defendants on release
Image
50. Maintains a community service program for juveniles on probation
Office for People with Disabilities
Image
51. Provides advocacy for people with any disability in order to ensure equal access to county services
Image
52. Collaborates with disability community organizations on awareness events, career fairs and job mentoring days
Image
53. Publishes a Guide to Services of resources for people with disabilities
Image
54. Provides guidance on Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility issues to residents and municipalities
Image
55. Helps local residents with applications to services
Social Services
Image
56. Investigates allegations of abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults
Image
57. Supports and assists foster parents and places children in foster care
Image
58. Administers assistance programs, including HEAP, SNAP, child care assistance and Medicaid
Image
59. Assists domestic violence victims, homeless individuals, juvenile defenders and those struggling with substance abuse
Image
60. Coordinates funding for youth programming
Equal Employment Opportunity Office
Image
61. Administers and monitors affirmative action programs for county government
Image
62. Investigates harassment complaints
Image
63. Audits county contracts for participation of minority- and women-owned businesses
Image
64. Monitors county hiring procedures to ensure compliance with affirmative action laws
Image
65. Provides resources to minority- and women-owned businesses
Library
Image
66. Provides residents and visitors of Erie County with free reading and programming for the past 175 years
Image
67. Maintains 37 locations county-wide
Image
68. Runs an active website with a library catalog and research database
Image
69. Manages 3 million items (books, maps, audio, video and digital)
Image
70. Coordinates bookmobile services to underserved communities
Mental Health
Image
71. Directs a local, comprehensive mental disability planning system
Image
72. Maximizes state, federal and voluntary support for programs
Image
73. Develops effective systems that assess and monitor the quality and effectiveness of care the mental disability programs deliver
Image
74. Monitors the quality of care in contractual agency programs
Image
75. Assures coordination of mental health, mental retardation/developmental disabilities and alcohol and substance abuse services
Public Advocacy
Image
76. Provides advocacy services to residents of Erie County
Image
77. Runs Commission on the Status of Women to promote gender equity
Image
78. Organizes events with community partners to promote collaboration
Image
79. Offers education, analysis of legislation and policy recommendations
Image
80. Coordinates annual United Way campaign
Veterans Services
Image
81. Ensures that every veteran in the county is registered in the VA System and is fully aware of all the benefits that they have earned
Image
82. Works to make veterans an economic force in education, employment and business development
Image
83. Develops programs with local colleges and universities
Image
84. Partners with the Dept. of Mental Health on a "peer to peer" mentoring program for returning veterans
Image
85. Processes the burials of indigent veterans and next-of-kin of veterans
Erie County Sheriffs
Image
86. Provides road patrols 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and regular aviation and marine patrols
Image
87. Investigates all crimes reported to the Sheriff's Office
Image
88. Executes warrants from Department of Social Services cases
Image
89. Provides bomb removal and SWAT support to local law enforcement
Image
90. Investigates fires happening within Sheriff's patrol districts
Erie County Clerk
Image
91. Records and keeps legal and official documents and records
Image
92. Issues permits and licenses for automobiles, firearms, hunting and fishing
Image
93. Ensures all court records are appropriately filed and maintained
Image
94. Administers laws related to motor vehicle sales, vehicle registration and driver licensing
Image
95. Maintains six auto bureaus and one mobile unit
Erie County Legislature
Image
96. Provides legislative oversight for Erie County government
Image
97. Holds legislative sessions and committee meetings
Image
98. Adopts and debates the annual Erie County budget
Image
99. Passes local laws, arts, ordinances and resolutions
Image
100. Exercises oversight over the daily operations of county government
Image
101. Liaises with constituents to help them navigate county services
