Kennedy focuses on immediate action to reinstate essential services

In an effort to keep so many vital Erie County services up and running, Eire County Legislator Timothy M. Kennedy (D-South Buffalo) voted yes on last week’s proposed sales tax increase. Despite his efforts to protect those services and jobs, the “Giambra Penny” needed to keep the county from falling into a “red” budget, failed to pass.

“Raising taxes in an already tax burdened county is never a sound long term answer,” Kennedy said, “as far as an immediate short term answer to protect citizens health, wellness and safety being put in jeopardy; I had no choice but to vote for a sales tax.”

Legislator Kennedy said he was disappointed that our county has fallen to this state of emergency. He questioned both the combined actions this county has taken in the past to place the county in such a position and the recent efforts put forth to keep it out of such a disaster. Kennedy said he is going to continue to fight with the help of his fellow legislators to reinstate the critical services cut.

“We all want to see change in our County Government,” Kennedy stated, “we all want to see the necessary cuts and reforms in the many facets this administration controls; cutting life-dependent services, services people have the right to have, this is not the just method to achieve that outcome. We have to trim the excess, the fat, not the vital services that are essential to the survival and protection from danger to the citizens of Erie County.

Without Al DeBennedetti’s vote, the “Giambra Penny” failed to pass bringing Kennedy’s fear of County shutdown to a reality. Essential services such as senior, youth, social will be cut. Probation Dept, District Attorneys, Sheriffs, law enforcement training academies and other related departments will be cut. Nurses at Erie County Medical Center, as well as school nurses who administer medicines and first response to your children, will be laid off. Volunteers Firefighters, Emergency Medical Service, 911 services and snowplowing throughout the county will loose vital funding the operations depend on to run. Libraries will close and County parks are barricading their entrances with no trespassing signs leaving citizens wondering when this quandary will end.

“This is a tragic time for Erie County, a time we have to work to put behind us,” Kennedy said, “we have to continue to work towards reform to right this fiscally unsound “ship” we call Erie County.”

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