The Erie County Legislature will be looking at the financial health of Erie County as it stands midway through 2024. Unfortunately, mid-year budget hearings are typically held weeks earlier. I’m disappointed these discussions are being held nearly 8 months into 2024. To date financial projections have not been positive. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has added numerous jobs and services best left to the private sector. Taxpayers bear the burden of that spending spree. Now he wants to add a public defender’s office, which will cost you even more.
The Administration points to Monroe County’s Public Defender model in comparing costs versus the current Assigned Counsel program. Mark Poloncarz says Monroe County’s program costs just $9 million. What he doesn’t say is, they also receive $15 million in state aid. In addition, Erie County has a much larger criminal and family court case load. To pay for attorneys, support staff, benefits, pension obligations, rent and overhead, some estimates indicate an Erie County public defender’s office could run close to $40 million annually. Currently Erie County provides $20.3 million to the Assigned Counsel program, with New York State providing another $8.7 million and the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo contracting with Erie County for $5.5 million. Per the contracts, any monies not spent by the end of the year are returned to the county. This costs far less and ensures those needing representation will have experienced counsel. The Administration must stop the spending, or future county executives will be straddled with fiscal challenges not of their making.
I’m troubled by the secrecy with which our colleagues across the aisle acted when they recently raided an account meant for capital improvements for non-profit organizations. The seven legislators took the remaining $2 million for pet projects in their own districts. They did so without any committee discussion and without reaching out to the minority caucus. They operated in secrecy and at the last minute. That’s not good government and that is not respecting taxpayers.
For those with summer vacation properties in Canada you may have been surprised to learn of the new measure being implemented by the Centers for Disease control which requires a tracking microchip be implanted in your dog, along with completing numerous documents for your pet for re-entry into the United States. The CDC’s rollout was abysmal, leaving many pet owners in the dark. Their August 1st deadline for completing this task is ridiculous. You were unable to access your vacation properties for nearly two years during COVID, and now the CDC is adding this new requirement in the middle of the busiest time of the year for border crossings, while allowing pet owners very little time to get it done. The deadline must be extended.
The events of last weekend serve as a reminder that as a nation we still have much work to do. We should be able to have differing political views and have reasonable discussions on ways to move forward. America prides itself in allowing for diversity of thought. Political violence is never the answer. Tragically, a volunteer firefighter and father of two daughters was killed in last Saturday’s assassination attempt. Others were injured. My thoughts are with all those impacted. We must come together as a country.
