When Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz delivered his State of the County address back in April, he provided what he called “a report card on the condition of our county,” stating, “I am proud to report that the state of Erie County is strong and getting stronger with each passing day.” While I understand the desire for elected officials to paint a positive picture, it is just as important to be transparent regarding future challenges.
Erie County is beginning to show red flags for an impending fiscal crisis. Over the County Executive’s term, the county’s budget has doubled in size. Despite warnings issued by his own budget director and the County Comptroller, each legislative session is filled with resolutions requesting to further expand the size of Erie County government with new jobs and more spending for services best left to the private sector. One such recent example is Erie Corps, which aims to add 15 new parks attendants. Unfortunately, when pressed with simple questions regarding whether there was a need for additional personnel, what jobs the new employees would be performing and which parks they would be servicing, the administration’s representatives were unable to provide a single detail. Rather, the answer was “We will figure that out once this is approved.” While this response would certainly be unacceptable in strong financial times, it becomes a glaring example of fiscal irresponsibility during times of financial stress.
Last year, the startup costs for the publicly funded ambulance service he created were estimated to be at least $4.67 million, with future operating costs estimated to be at least $2 million a year. Niagara County solved the identical problem with a public-private partnership for just $1 million per year and with no start-up costs or legacy costs to burden future budgets.
Additional government expansions are being proposed to form a new public defender’s office, as well as a countywide assessor’s office, which would take autonomy away from local communities.
The creation of a public defender’s office would also hit taxpayers hard. The hiring of 200-250 attorneys, plus legal assistants and other support personnel will come with a hefty price tag. This comes at a time when most residents are having a hard time paying their grocery bill and personal credit card debt is rising at historic rates. These initiatives of the County Executive will lead to more patronage hires and stick future residents with the bill. The Assigned Counsel program, which provides legal counsel to those who need it, is highly effective and financially sound. As the financial watchdogs of Erie County, the legislature must be more critical and independent, or we find ourselves on the brink of a fiscal cliff reminiscent of the red/green budget of 20 years ago.
Lastly, regardless of which political party has controlled the Rath Building, our budget has supported many non-profit and cultural assets in our community. Historically, I have supported Locust Street Art because of their great programming. Recently however, an employee there rejected a Jewish school’s request to partner with them for ceramics classes for their middle school students, claiming the organization cannot “support the ongoing genocide in Palestine.” This school has no reference to Israel or the current conflict in Gaza. It seems abundantly clear that this decision was based exclusively on antisemitic hate. This denial of services is a violation of Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. With an organization that receives public funding at the federal, state, and county level, it is imperative that we hold them accountable to our community’s investment. I am pleased that the Board of Directors acted swiftly. The Program Coordinator who denied the services is no longer employed by the organization, and other staff will undergo training. This is a positive step forward and I thank the Board for their actions.
If you have a county related concern, please contact my office at Christopher.Greene@erie.gov, or by phone, 716-858-8676.
