The Administration has submitted the proposed 2024 Erie County budget. My colleagues and I will be spending the next several weeks reviewing that spending plan and making amendments as necessary to ensure the budget best serves the taxpayers.
New York City’s decision to send their problems to Western New York for us to manage have not served the taxpayers of Erie County well. My latest concern is Mayor Eric Adams plan, which was endorsed by Governor Kathy Hochul, to allow New York City’s welfare recipients, disadvantaged families, and those possibly facing eviction, to use rental vouchers here. Under New York City’s Right-to-Shelter law, eligible families receive rental vouchers often in excess of two-thousand dollars, as well as cash assistance for up to 5 years, commensurate with the cost of living in NYC. The County Executive said himself there is an affordable housing shortage in Erie County. By inviting New York City residents to come here with their vouchers, they are pricing out our own county residents, putting them at an unfair disadvantage. Additionally, those new residents then become the responsibility of Erie County Social Services. Erie County has the seventh highest poverty rate in America at 30.1%. This puts undue stress on our affordable housing stock and on our taxpayer-funded social services. We cannot allow this.
My Republican colleagues and I introduced a resolution that passed unanimously supporting a state law that would prohibit foreign adversaries from acquiring agricultural land. If nations deemed adversaries own agricultural land here in the U.S., they could ultimately cause great harm. This measure ensures our food independence, particularly in unsettled times.
We also announced $2 million in funding to help area farms and agribusinesses still struggling from last November’s storm. That money will go to help with repairs and replacement of damaged structures and machinery. Often times insurance companies will not provide coverage for greenhouses. Erie County Soil & Water Conservation District will review applications. To apply go to https://ecswcd.org
We are making an important investment at the Southtowns Wastewater facility. $3.3 million in American Rescue Plan money is being spent on 3 new influential screw pumps, replacing ones that have serviced the region for 42 years. I served on the Board of Erie County Sewers for 37 years and was its chair for more than 3 decades. This infrastructure work is long overdue.
Election Day is drawing near, which brings me to the move in Albany to change local election cycles so that they coincide with federal and state election years. We have seen how important it is to debate local issues most impacting our day-to-day life. Those very real concerns and issues will be drowned out by state and national discussion. We need to have fair and proper attention on races that decide, among other things, your town or county budget, whether infrastructure work will be addressed, what local services will be provided or impacted. Keep local elections as they are.
Mother Nature always likes to put on a show this time of year in Western New York. Be sure to get out to the county parks and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.
If you have a county related issue that needs attention, contact my office at John.Mills@erie.gov or phone at 716-858-8850.
