I hope you are enjoying your summer. It never lasts long enough, but we have certainly enjoyed some beautiful weather. Be sure to take advantage of Erie County parks, beaches and golf courses in these remaining weeks. Go to www.erie.gov and click on “Visit Our Parks” for information on events happening in our public spaces, as well as links to reserve shelters.
The Erie County Legislature will soon return from the August recess. One of our first orders of business will be meeting with department heads as part of mid-year budget hearings. These hearings are typically held in June or July, and I’m disappointed the Legislature majority didn’t schedule theses hearings until very late into 2024. After all, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz will be releasing his proposed 2025 spending plan in just a few short weeks. Since the County Executive’s own budget director and Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick have warned of some difficult financial times ahead, I expect the Comptroller to provide some substantive suggestions on where spending can be cut, so that we don’t burden future generations with increased government costs, particularly at a time when Erie County’s population remains stagnate. I look forward to hearing those specific recommendations from Comptroller Hardwick, and as the fiscal house, it is the Erie County Legislature’s responsibility to keep that spending in check. I hope we can accomplish that in a bipartisan manner. The Administration cannot continue to keep adding jobs and services best left to the private sector, and then stick the hardworking taxpayers of Erie County with the bill. Creating an ambulance service is one example of that. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year, and has negatively impacted response times, specifically in the City of Buffalo, where people in need of ambulance service report waiting more than an hour to be transported. AMR provides much of the ambulance service for Erie and Niagara Counties, particularly in Buffalo. AMR has been hurt by the addition of a publicly-funded ambulance service. Another example is the County Executive’s intention to do away with the Assigned Counsel program, favoring a far more expensive public defender model instead. At a time when people are having a difficult time feeding their families, we should not be growing government and handing the bill to taxpayers.
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and I am always proud to celebrate those who have committed to this region. One of those is Alden Pools and Play, which recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.
I’m always proud to celebrate our selfless veterans. Last week I joined Congressman Nick Langworthy in a pinning ceremony honoring dozens of Vietnam Veterans. My office also participated in Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns’ annual ceremony recognizing Purple Heart Veterans. We owe our veterans everything, and I am eternally grateful to them.
If you have a county related issue, please contact my office at 716-681-2071 or by email, Frank.Todaro@erie.gov As always, thank you for the honor of serving you.
