Erie County Clerk
Press Releases

12/11/08

Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul Proposes New Eastern Hills Mall Location for Auto Bureau; Late February Opening Expected

County Legislature Votes to Approve, Will Expand Services, Including Enhanced Driver's Licenses, to Amherst, Clarence, Alden and Akron Residents

Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul says that today's unanimous approval by the Erie County Legislature of a three year, rent-free agreement between the County Clerk's office and Eastern Hills Mall is a win-win for Erie County drivers and taxpayers. "We needed more space than we have at the ECC North location to handle the increased demand for Enhanced Driver's Licenses, without spending additional taxpayer dollars. The convenient Eastern Hills Mall location allows us to more than double our space, process the EDL's, and improve security for our existing operations without additional costs to the taxpayers," said Hochul.

Moving from the tiny ECC North Auto Bureau location will benefit the customers in a variety of ways. According to Hochul, they will increase the number of cashiers from 2 to 4, add seating, a ticket system and television and magazines to create a more positive waiting room environment. This will allow staff to handle customers more efficiently, resulting in increased revenue for the County. The volume of transactions handled at the E.C.C. North location was growing steadily and made the need for a larger space more immediate. "During 2007 and 2008, we served 85,000 customers, but have certainly outgrown our space," said Hochul. The County Clerk commended the County Legislators for supporting her initiative, in particular Chairwoman Lynn Marinelli, and Legislators Tom Loughran, Ed Rath, and Mike Ranzenhofer who represent the Amherst area and spoke favorably about the plan.

Judy Sirianni, General Manager of the Eastern Hills Mall, stated, "We are excited to have this new partnership with Erie County to make services more convenient for the citizens of the County and our customers. Hochul thanked Ms. Sirianni for her integral role in making this opportunity happen.

Hochul also expressed her appreciation to E.C.C. President Jack Quinn. "We truly appreciate the willingness of Erie Community College and the Board of Trustees to accommodate our needs in serving the people of this community following the loss of our Northtown Auto Bureau during the budget crisis. This temporary location helped get us back on our feet and for that we are grateful," said Hochul. The ECC North office will remain open until the Eastern Hills location is ready for business, perhaps as early as the end of February. It will be located adjacent to the Cinemas in the rear of the mall, with plenty of parking available.