I hope you are enjoying all the wonderful things summer has to offer in Western New York. It’s hard to believe my children will be heading back to school in a couple of weeks. Our summers don’t last long enough.
Prior to the August recess my colleagues and I in the Republican Caucus were able to negotiate a property tax cut, the first in decades. The $1 million cut to the property tax levy in 2024 will result in an estimated $80 million in savings over the next decade with the two-percent tax cap in place. We were also able to work out an arrangement where you won’t pay county sales tax on home energy costs for residential properties this December through February.
The migrant issue has taken on special significance in my district. I’ve heard from constituents who are concerned about recent developments. The Town of Cheektowaga was given no say about the relocation of these so-called asylum seekers to their town. Residents were never told ahead of time what the County Executive’s plans were with relocating hundreds of migrants to their town. This past weekend we learned a migrant was arrested on sex abuse and unlawful imprisonment charges. Last week a migrant was arrested on charges of rape and endangering the welfare of a child, others were charged with petit larceny, at least one other has an outstanding arrest, and another was diagnosed with tuberculosis, being housed in a hotel in a residential area. We were told these migrants have been vetted, but that is obviously not the case. We can’t trust that New York City and Albany have our best interests at heart. The safety and security of our residents should come first and should never be compromised. Cheektowaga residents are bearing the brunt of bad decisions made by this Administration, as well as our leaders in Albany.
We were also told school children wouldn’t be coming here, but they are. Are our local school districts prepared to meet the needs? Districts are already facing challenges. New York City has indicated they can’t handle any more migrants. Will they still foot the bill for the ones already here? For how long? In some cases, self-purported asylum seekers can wait seven years to see if they are granted asylum, and many are not. New York City officials already said they will be running out of money. Do Erie County residents get stuck with the bill? There are many unanswered questions. My ancestors came here from Italy. There is a proper way to handle immigration. This isn’t it. There is far too much uncertainty. Our system is overwhelmed.
I also requested an audit to ensure those hotels receiving public dollars for housing these “asylum seekers” are up to date on their property taxes. Meanwhile, those hotels aren’t paying an occupancy tax while housing migrants, which impacts our county budget and local economy. The federal government needs to address this crisis and we in Erie County need answers.
If you have a county related issue, you can reach my office at 716-681-2071 or by email, Frank.Todaro@erie.gov
