January 10, 2008

ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATOR MARIA WHYTE AND SHERIFF TIMOTHY HOWARD ANNOUNCE FUNDING FOR COUNTY WARRANT OFFICER

2008 Budget Restores Long-Overdue Funding for Special Office

Erie County Legislator Maria Whyte and Sheriff Timothy Howard, joined by Housing Court liaisons from the City of Buffalo as well as community residents, announced today a major victory in the fight against absentee landlords and their vacant properties.

Included in the County Legislature's 2008 Budget amendments is funding for a County Warrant Officer. At an abandoned home on Dearborn St. in the Historic neighborhood of Black Rock, Whyte detailed how the new addition to the Sheriff's budget will impact communities. The Sheriff's warrant officer, Whyte noted, can now pursue warrants issued by City Housing Court Judge Henry Nowak to absentee landlords throughout Erie County.

Expanding the warrant squad to include the ability to extradite absentee landlords from other parts of New York State is a possibility Whyte wants to explore.

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