Legislator Mills
I hope you are enjoying these final days of summer. We had a successful Eden Corn Festival and Orchard Park Quaker Days. Thank you to all the participants. It has also been a successful road construction season. Erie County was able to pave some of Eden-Evans Center Road, with the remainder to be done next year, mill and overlay on Boston State Road and Webster, as well as some top course treatment on Gowanda Zoar Valley Road. Oil and chip work was also done on several other county roads in the district.
For twenty years I have served on the Erie County Capital Projects Committee, which is tasked with reviewing proposals for major county projects and recommending them for approval to the Legislature. For the 2027 program, we have recommended increased spending on county roads, bridges and drainage. I also supported a $10 million project to update regional communication systems and towers used by our emergency services and first responders. Our current technology will soon be obsolete and doesn’t allow all agencies to communicate together during an emergency. The plan will also fund security cameras at our jails to help keep our officers safe on the job. I was shocked to learn that many areas of the jail were not covered by cameras, creating a safety risk for those that work there. Additional investments will be made into libraries and parks.
I am very much in favor of the Veterans Property tax exemption on the primary residence of seriously disabled veterans. Many of these veterans sacrificed so much for our country. They are left with debilitating injuries in performance of their service to our nation. By providing a full exemption on the value of their primary residential property for the purposes of real property tax assessment, we are easing the burden faced by so many who returned home to face of living with additional challenges. These veterans were discharged or released from active military under honorable conditions, are considered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of their military service. It is the least we can do for our military members who returned home facing increased challenges.
It is good to see that the 2026 Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie will soon be coming to our shores. This year’s tournament is scheduled for August 20-22. We are fortunate our community sits on the shores of Lake Erie. We have great boating, swimming, sunsets, sunrises, and fishing tournaments where people from all over come to enjoy what Western New York has to offer.
Families will soon be sending their children back to school. I wish a safe, happy and healthy return for everyone. If you have a county related issue, contact my office at 716-858-8850 or by email at John.Mills@erie.gov Thank you for the privilege of serving you.
