Erie County Legislature Republicans blasted Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s State of the County address, saying it was neither inspirational nor aspirational, provided no great vision for the future of Erie County, and was focused on the federal government while he should be putting all his attention on the betterment of Erie County.
Mark Poloncarz touted the strength of Erie County and how much it has improved since he has taken office, yet his county initiatives all focused on issues indicating clear signs that our region is not doing well economically. He spoke of homelessness, affordable housing, mental health epidemics and defending criminals, and while all are issues the government must address, they are not an indication our county is getting stronger.
The County Executive spoke about building homeless shelters and providing legal assistance to the accused. He claimed Erie County was in great fiscal shape, but then tore into federal policies, the current Administration and its efforts to reduce the federal deficit, which is now more than $36 trillion.
“Mark Poloncarz spent half his speech focused on issues he has little to no control over. People want to know what steps he is taking to make Erie County more business friendly. Taxpayers want to hear initiatives that will help grow our region and our economy. Instead, it was more of the same. Just like he blew through once-in-a-generation federal government money that could’ve been game-changing, Mark Poloncarz delivered a State of the County Address filled with small ideas, big spending, and taking shots at political opponents. It was so disappointing and not what we need,” said Legislator Lindsay Lorigo.
