Navigation
The Legislative Committees
Items received by the Legislature are sent to one of its seven committees. Items are placed on that committee's agenda for review, discussion and/or approval if necessary.
Following the meeting of the committee, an agenda item - along with the committee's consensus in the form of a vote tally and any amendment - is included on the agenda of the full Legislature for consideration.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
COUNTY LEGISLATURE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY FOCUSES 2010 BUDGET AMENDMENTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Erie County Legislature's Finance, Management and Budget Committee today amended the County Executive's $1.4 billion proposed budget.
Highlights include: holding the line on property taxes while restoring funding to maintain Erie County's primary health services, increasing funding for economic development such as culturals, libraries and Erie Community College. The restorations and other budget actions are balanced. About 88 percent of the proposed budget is state and federally mandated.
The package the Democratic Majority proposed reduces spending where possible and continues to fund essential services and economic engines, such as culturals, tourism, Operation Prime Time (youth services) and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy.
HEALTH SERVICES
- Restored $2.2 million in funding for primary health services upon the county executive eliminating the two remaining Erie County health clinics: the Jesse E. Nash Health Care Center and Pediatrics at 608 William Street and the Dr. Matt Gajewski Human Services Center at 1500 Broadway.
REVENUES
- Hold the line on property taxes.
- Accepting the County Executive's assumptions of flat sales tax revenues in 2010.
REDUCTIONS
- Reduced step increases for commissioners and some deputies where appropriate.
- Accepted the recommendations of the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority by reducing financing payments by $122,000 and by increasing the turnover account by $2,800,000, up to $5,600,000.
- Also reduced professional services contracts where major increases were requested and found efficiencies in every department.
ADJUSTMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS
- Created three new narcotics detective positions, three new dispatcher positions and a new warrant officer in the Erie County Sheriff's Office, all within the department's budget.
- Restored cultural-tourism funding by $1.1 million to provide parity to all organizations and maintain the quality of these services for county residents by funding the previously funded cultural and arts organizations at their 2008 levels. The Democratic Majority also funded five additional cultural organizations. These are non-recurring expenses.
- The Democratic Majority also supported the county executive's increase of $750,000 in funding for the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Buffalo Convention Center. The combined funding increase shows the legislature's commitment to funding the agencies responsible for helping drive Erie County's economic tourism engine.
- Operation Prime Time funding for Youth was established at $400,000, which will allow for summer youth programming. New York State has yet to indicate matching monies in 2010.
- Again created a matching grant for the Olmsted Parks with $360,000, allowing funds from foundations and other sources.
- Provided $750,000 for restoration of library services. Libraries continue with a slight increase in funding of $27,257,766.
- Established a $100,000 Distressed Real Properties Matching Fund to address Erie County's growing problem with vacant, abandoned and blighted properties.
RESOLUTIONS AND REFORMS
- Continued budget monitoring and oversight through the Budget Accountability Act. Each organization must provide the Legislature a budget that includes measurable goals and objectives. A close out report to the Legislature is due at the end of the year.
- The Legislature returned language to continue to conduct its mid-year budget hearings as part of its fiscal oversight duties.
- Added "prior legislative approval" to several categories, including prohibiting the County Executive from giving variable minimum salaries without prior legislature approval or adjusting certain grant appropriations and revenues without legislature approval.
NEXT STEPS
- The full County Legislature meets to consider the amended 2010 budget proposal at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 1, 2009, in the Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.
- After the County Legislature approves a budget, the County Executive has one week to act to veto any of the Legislature's additions. Deletions are not subject to veto.
- If any vetoes are made, the County Legislature will meet to vote on overriding the vetoes Tuesday, December 8, 2009.
- Any technical amendments or adjustments to the 2010 budget may be offered in January 2010.
Democratic members of the Finance, Management and Budget Committee are: Legislator Robert B. Reynolds, chair; Majority Leader Maria R. Whyte, vice chair; Legislator Betty Jean Grant, Legislator Diane M. Terranova, Legislator Timothy M. Wroblewski and Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli. The Republican members are Minority Leader John Mills and Legislator Ray Walter.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Community Enrichment Committee, under its chair, County Legislator Betty Jean Grant (D-Buffalo), to hear from members of the Buffalo Prison Abuse Project during its regular meeting
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, October 1, 2009
Several members of the Buffalo Prison Abuse Project will address the Community Enrichment Committee to share its concerns, hopes, and demands for improving conditions at the Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo and the Correctional Facility in Alden.
The BPAP is a coalition of Western New York groups which has rallied around a core belief that "prisoners are people" who deserve fair, just and humane treatment. For two months, BPAP members have held protest demonstrations on the corner of Delaware and Church, outside of the Sheriff's Office, raising community awareness about the physical, mental and fiscal abuse it claims occurs in the above mentioned facilities. The BPAP can be contacted through Karima Amin at 834-8438 or karima@prisonersarepeople.org.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
August 26, 2009
To: Members of the Erie County Legislature, County
Department Personnel, Interested Stakeholders
and the Media
From: Robert M. Graber, Clerk
Subject: Erie County Legislature Public Safety Committee Meeting,
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 11:00 A.M.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Erie County Legislature's Public Safety
Committee will hold a regular meeting on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
at ELEVEN O'CLOCK in the morning of that day in the Chambers of the Erie
County Legislature, 4th Floor of Old County Hall, 92 Franklin Street, in the
City of Buffalo, New York.
The purpose of the meeting will be to go through the Public Safety
Committee agenda, as well as to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice report
on the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional Facility.
Thank you.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009
CONTACT: KEVIN J. HOSEY 858-8607
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Public Safety Committee to conduct a meeting
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo
WHEN: 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Items on the agenda of the Public Safety Committee meeting include discussion of the U.S. Department of Justice report on the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional Facility. A copy of the report can be found at the following URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/Erie_findlet_redact_07-15-09.pdf
Legislator Timothy M. Wroblewski, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, said that representatives from the Erie County Sheriff's Office and the county executive's administration have been invited and are expected to attend.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
August 17, 2009 NOTICE UPDATED ON AUGUST 17, 2009
TO: Members of the Erie County Legislature, County Department Personnel, Interested Stakeholders and the Media
FROM: Robert M. Graber, Clerk
RE: Erie County Legislature Committee Informational Meetings
Please be advised that one additional Informational Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at the Erie County Legislature. The schedule below is an updated version of the schedule sent to you on Friday, August 14, 2009.
The Erie County Legislature has scheduled Informational Meetings of the Legislature's Government Affairs Committee, Public Safety Committee and Energy and Environment Committee for Wednesday, August 19, 2009.
The Informational Meetings have been scheduled as follows:
Government Affairs Wed., August 19, 2009 11:00 A.M.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the County Executive's appointment of Sawrie Becker as Commissioner of Public Advocacy.
Public Safety Wed., August 19, 2009 12:00 Noon
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice report on the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional Facility.
A copy of the report can be found at the following URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/Erie_findlet_redact_07-15-09.pdf
Energy & Environment Wed., August 19, 2009 2:00 P.M.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the County Executive's appointment of Kathy Konst to the position Commissioner of Environment & Planning.
Thank you.
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
CONTACT: KEVIN J. HOSEY 858-8607
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Government Affairs, Public Safety and Energy and Environment Committees to hold informational meetings
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo
WHEN: 11 a.m. Thursday, August 20, 2009, for the Government Affairs Committee; Noon Thursday, August 20, 2009, for the Public Safety Committee, and 2 p.m. Thursday, August 20, 2009, for the Energy and Environment Committee
The purpose of the Government Affairs Committee meeting is to discuss the County Executive's appointment of Sawrie Becker as Commissioner of Public Advocacy.
The purpose of the Public Safety Committee meeting is to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice report on the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional Facility. A copy of the report can be found at the following URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/Erie_findlet_redact_07-15-09.pdf
The purpose of the Energy and Environment Committee meeting is to discuss the County Executive's nomination of Kathy Konst to the position Commissioner of Environment & Planning.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
MONDAY, JULY 20, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Economic Development Committee to reconvene its meeting from being recessed July 16
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Among the items up for discussion and consideration will be an administration request to grant the Industrial Development Corporation, part of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, permission to issue bonds allowing tax-exempt funding to non-profit groups for substantial projects.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
JULY 17, 2009
COUNTY LEGISLATURE ANNUAL MID-YEAR BUDGET HEARINGS TO CONTINUE OVERSIGHT, REFORM MEASURES
The Erie County Legislature will conduct its mid-year budget hearings as part of its continuing oversight and reform measures starting at 9 a.m. Monday, July 20, in the County Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.
The County Legislature will hold these mid-year budget hearings through the Finance and Management Committee, which is chaired by County Legislator Kathy Konst (D-Lancaster, Elma).
"The mid-year budget hearings, through the Legislature gaining information from the various department heads and other administration officials, are a key weapon in our fight to continue to right Erie County's fiscal ship," Legislator Konst said. "Assessing Erie County's financial health through examination of the departments' spending and revenues, and comparing them to the projections, allows the Legislature and departments to be able to adjust to changing situations before they become crises."
"The County Legislature instituted the mid-budget hearings as part of its reform measures to increase its oversight of financial matters," County Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli (D-Buffalo, Tonawanda) said. "We are continuing to monitor spending and revenues as part of our County Charter designated roll of fiscal oversight, which our constituents demand."
The mid-year budget hearings will proceed through Tuesday and Wednesday, July 21-22, with call back for departments needing to provide additional information to be held Friday, July 24.
The complete mid-year budget hearing schedule can be found at www.erie.gov/legislature.
JUNE 22, 2009
COUNTY LEGISLATURE FINANCE, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO BEGIN MID-YEAR 2009 BUDGET HEARINGS JUNE 24
The Erie County Legislature will begin conducting its mid-year 2009 budget hearings when outgoing Department of Social Services Commissioner Michael Weiner discusses his department's status at the Finance and Management Committee meeting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, in the County Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.
Commissioner Weiner's presentation is the first of several that the committee will hear as the Legislature examines the county's revenue and expenditures for 2009 on a department by department basis. The remaining departments will make their presentations during the week of July 20-24, also in the County Legislature Chambers.
"The County Legislature created the mid-year budget hearings as part of our reform efforts and to increase the accountability of county government spending practices," County Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli (D-Buffalo, Tonawanda) said. "If there are areas in spending or revenues that create concerns and need addressing, the Legislature needs to know about them now and not later in this fiscal year."
"The mid-year budget hearings have been a helpful tool to the Legislature in conducting our County Charter-mandated duties of financial oversight," County Legislator Kathy Konst (D-Lancaster, Elma), Chair of the Finance and Management Committee, said. "In these increasingly difficult economic times, county residents need to know that their elected Legislators are reviewing and analyzing spending and funding situations to make sure that the county runs as efficiently and effectively as possible while keeping costs as low as we can."
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Government Affairs Committee, under its chair, Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams, to conduct a regular meeting
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 4, 2009
The committee has invited Erie County Legislature 21st Century Commission Chair Martha Lamparelli to discuss the report the commission recently issued.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
JUNE 3, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Finance and Management Committee, under its chair, Legislator Kathy Konst, to conduct a regular meeting
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The committee has invited Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority Chair Robert M. Glaser and County Budget Director Gregory Gach to discuss the ECFSA accepting the administration’s four-year financial plan and entering advisory status.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607 or Kevin.Hosey@erie.gov.
APRIL 9, 2008
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Finance and Management Committee to conduct informational meeting on 2009 Capital Budget and the proposed projects contained therein.
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: Noon Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The informational meeting was scheduled by County Legislator Kathy Konst, Chair of the Finance and Management Committee. For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607.
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
COUNTY LEGISLATURE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE TO HOLD WATER AUTHORITY INTERVIEWS
The Erie County Legislature Energy and Environment Committee will conduct interviews for the Erie County Water Authority commissioner position during an informational meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the County Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of Old County Hall, 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.
All interested parties who wish to apply for this position should submit a letter of interest and resume to the Chair of the Erie County Legislature, 4th Floor, Old Erie County Hall, 92 Franklin St., Buffalo, N.Y. 14202, or send an e-mail letter and resume in care of the Chair of the Legislature to graberr@erie.gov.
TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Green Actions Community Subcommittee to conduct a meeting led by Subcommittee Chair County Legislator Michele M. Iannello
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Committee Room, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2009
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Finance and Management Committee to conduct a meeting to discuss the recent faulty tax bills issued by the Department of Real Property Tax Services and the administration
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 1 p.m. Monday, February 2, 2009
The County Legislature is asking Director of Real Property Tax Services Joseph Maciejewski and Budget Director Gregory Gach to discuss the faulty tax bills and other related issues with the Finance and Management Committee, chaired by County Legislator Kathy Konst (D-Lancaster, Elma) during the meeting.
"It is imperative that this Legislature understand how this mistake happened and what safeguards will be put in place so that such a costly error doesn't happen again," Legislator Konst said.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607.
ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY
2009 BUDGET VETO OVERRIDE MESSAGE
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2008
The Erie County Legislature today voted to override the vetoes made by the County Executive Monday in the amended 2009 Erie County budget, reinstating the amendments to cultural and other spending approved by the County Legislature last week, eliminating the county executive's previously proposed tax rate increase.
Despite erroneous claims by the county executive, the budget with veto overrides will hold the line on property taxes, thus cutting the County Executive's proposal by about $9.5 million, while providing for essential services such as public safety, health, human services and emergency services. The County Legislature restored about $1 million to the spending plan; about 86 percent of the budget is state and federally mandated spending.
The spending package the County Legislature approved kept the voters and the taxpayers first and foremost in mind by eliminating the proposed tax increase, reducing spending where possible but continuing to fund essential services as well as providing funds where possible to economic engines, such as culturals, tourism, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Erie County Soil and Water, Operation Prime Time (youth services) and the Olmsted Parks.
The County Legislature was repeatedly told by residents and taxpayers how crucial it was to hold the line on the property tax rate in these difficult economic times, and acted to eliminate the county executive's proposed increase.
Cultural funding was restored at 95 percent of the organization's 2008 level, funding organizations while ensuring that decreased funding would be spread equitably through the groups.
REVENUES
- Accepting the County Executive's assumptions of flat sales tax revenues in 2009.
- Held the line on property taxes, cutting the County Executive's proposal by $8 million.
- Voted for the County Executive's proposal, raising parks fees, with amendments, by $236,300, at the December 1 session.
- Voted for the County Executive's proposal raising Health Department fees by $40,697 at the November 20 session.
- Accepted the County Executive's proposal raising recording fees by $300,000, which will be voted on in December by local law.
REDUCTIONS
- Reduced and restructured the County Legislature's budget for personnel and non-personnel items by more than $265,000.
- Further reduced non-personnel line items throughout all Erie County departments by $3,479,407.
- Further reduced personnel line items throughout all Erie County departments by more than $550,000.
- Increased turnover account by $1,685,000, up to $2,805,000, for further vacancy savings.
- Reduced the Risk Retention Fund's appropriation for insurance charges by $2,000,000.
RESTORATIONS
- Restored cultural-tourism funding by $279,405 to provide parity to all organizations and maintain the quality of these services for county residents.
- Restored the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service appropriation amount at $280,250, which the County Executive recommended zero funding for in 2009. This allows for Cornell Cooperative to accept New York State grant funding.
- Restored the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation appropriation at $161,500, which the County Executive also recommended zero funding for in 2009.
- Operation Prime Time funding in the Youth Bureau had its funding increased by $100,000, which will allow the youth program to accept New York State grant funding.
- Created a matching grant for the Olmsted Parks with $360,000, allowing foundations and other funding sources to match upon the County park commissioner's plan.
RESOLUTIONS AND REFORMS
- Continued budget monitoring and oversight through the Budget Accountability Act. Each organization must provide the Legislature a budget that includes measurable goals and objectives. A close out report to the Legislature is due at the end of the year.
- The Legislature returned language to continue to conduct its mid-year budget hearings as part of its fiscal oversight duties.
- Added prior legislative approval to several categories, including prohibiting the County Executive from giving variable minimum salaries without prior legislature approval and authorizing the Budget Director to adjust certain grant appropriations and revenues subject to legislature approval.
- Recognized the Erie County Medical Center Corporation's liability at $5.33 million for 2009 and directed the County Executive to negotiate and propose a plan.
- Instructed the Erie County Board of Elections to stay within budget while recognizing the implementation of HAVA, and provides increases for inspectors' stipends from $132 to $145.
NEXT STEPS
- The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority will now vote on accepting or rejecting the budget.
- Any technical amendments or adjustments to the 2009 budget may be offered in January 2009.
- The funding restoration for Big Orbit Gallery and Arts in Education Institute will be addressed by legislative resolution to be filed January 2, 2009. Big Orbit Gallery is currently scheduled to receive $15,000 and Arts in Education Institute of WNY Inc. $5,000 in the 2009 budget.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2008
WHAT: Erie County Legislature Energy and Environment Committee to host discussion of the Erie County/City of Buffalo intermunicipal parks agreement status during an informational committee meeting
WHERE: Erie County Legislature Chambers, Fourth Floor, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo
WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The County Legislature's Energy and Environment Committee has invited all parties, representing county, city and other levels of government and interests, and representatives from the Olmsted Parks Conservancy will be present at this meeting.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607.