I was joined by my Republican colleagues in voting to put a cap on Erie County’s gasoline tax. By doing this, our constituents would be able to save some money at a time when gas prices continue to increase. Unfortunately, all but one of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle chose not to support this measure. I find it troublesome that we have an opportunity to help the people we serve, and some of our fellow legislators chose not to. We will continue to try and push this measure forward so that Erie County residents can find some relief at the pumps.
I was pleased, however, that we were able to get the youth hunting bill passed in the Erie County Legislature. The measure allows for 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt larger game with the supervision of an adult. Unfortunately, the County Executive vetoed this measure, despite the Department of Environmental Conservation saying there have been zero incidents since the measure was passed elsewhere in New York. But if members that previously voted in favor of this bill don’t change their stance, then the Youth Hunting Bill will become law.
The Erie County Executive’s recent State of the County Address was not at all what I had hoped to hear. We continue to lose our children and grandchildren to states that are more friendly with respect to jobs, taxes and quality of life. But there was no mention of that made. Instead, he proposed a lightbulb exchange program, and other small initiatives that don’t even begin to address why people leave Western New York. True leadership would be brave and bold. It is ok to sometimes take risks and what we need right now is a County Executive that can put forth big ideas and consider ways we can get people back downtown, re-energize the city, give constituents a reason to believe in the future of this region.
As I continue my final year in public service, I enjoy the opportunity to honor our many volunteer firefighters, our first responders, and the communities I serve. I remain committed to those towns and villages. Thomas Edington of the North Boston Fire Company received special recognition for his 50 years of service. His roots trace back to the founding members, making his commitment a true family legacy. I am also proud of the continued work we do with the DARE program in our area schools and am grateful to the local leaders I work with. Close to 20,000 students have graduated from that program since its inception. Orchard Park Police Officer Kristen Mazur has done an exceptional job running the program for more than a decade.
Last week marked the 4th anniversary of the racially motivated Tops shooting that took ten innocent lives and injured many more. It is important that we never forget this terrible scar left on this city, and that we continue to honor the people we lost. It is also important that we continue to have those conversations. We are all part of the human race, and we need to be kind to one another.
If you have a county related issue, you can contact my office at (716)858-8850 or by email at John.Mills@erie.gov You can also follow me on Facebook at Legislator John Mills.
