As we close out 2023, I like to reflect back on the work and accomplishments in the Erie County Legislature. When we began the year, western New York was still reeling from the deadly Christmas blizzard. My Republican colleagues and I immediately pushed to have public discussion on what improvements Erie County and the Administration needed to make to avoid loss of life in the future. One shining light during the storm was the heroic actions of local, private snowmobile clubs, who took to the streets with some of the few vehicles in the county capable of traversing the unplowed street. We advocated for the inclusion of these clubs as part of the solution. It took the Administration longer than necessary, but I’m glad we now have a plan where members of those clubs will be indemnified and be a part of responding to snow emergencies in the future. Additionally, I was proud to sponsor a County grant for Clarence Fire Company to convert their existing SUV to a track rescue vehicle during inclement weather. I hope this can serve as a successful pilot program that will be adopted for widespread use throughout Erie County.
We provided some property tax relief for volunteer first responders, rejected Albany’s push to ban gas appliances, and celebrated the opening of inclusive playgrounds in county parks, which was an initiative of the Republican Caucus. Our caucus also negotiated an agreement with the Administration that saves millions in borrowing costs after we discovered more than $60 million in approved projects had not been completed or started. We refused to add to the tab and approve borrowing $44 million more, instead converting some projects to cash, and paying off $9.5 million in existing bonds to the old Bills stadium using cash. We also used more budget surplus to fund Erie County’s $250 million obligation to the new stadium.
Speaking of the new stadium, work is well underway on the new home of the Buffalo Bills, and Erie County won’t be on the hook for any project overruns. While we have not seen the final bonding costs, it seems likely that building the new stadium will cost Erie County $3-4 million less per year than our maintenance obligations on the current stadium.
I am pleased to have provided the first cut to the property tax levy in more than 20 years as part of negotiations for the 2024 budget. With the two percent tax cap in place, it is anticipated we will save more than $80 million over the next decade. In addition, you won’t pay county sales tax on home energy products during the peak winter months of December to February. The budget also includes important investments in our local communities. I was proud to allocate funding for bike path improvements in Newstead/Akron, infrastructure improvements to Paradise Park in Amherst and for parks in Clarence. In addition, various fire companies, the Clarence Concert Association and Hope Totes will be receiving funding.
I want to wish all you the very happiest of holiday seasons. I hope you are able to spend this time in the company of those near and dear to you. May 2024 be a year filled with many blessings. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve you and am appreciative of the commitment so many of you make to ensure this is truly a special place to live.
