There is no question that the fiscal health and stability of Erie County, both short-term and long-term, is the most important issue that the Erie County Legislature will address over the course of the year and the near future.

So the recent announcement that the County operated with a small surplus for fiscal year 2005 is good news, but certainly no reason for rejoicing or easing up on efforts to cut spending and consolidate services where possible.

Indeed, while positive, the reported $2.5 million surplus for 2005, out of a budget of about $1 billion, is miniscule, and for good, prudent budgetary action, we should eventually raise the surplus to about $50 million, or 5 percent of the total County budget.

I realize that some people do not believe that municipal governments should operate with budget surpluses, but for bonding purposes and unexpected fiscal conditions and events, a surplus is vital. Financial ratings organizations such as Moody's assess a government entity's "bankability" for bonding purposes with a concentration on the surplus a municipality has, with a low surplus almost always meaning higher interesting rates and higher borrowing costs. Increasing the County's surplus will put us in a position in which we won't have to pay for exorbitant interest on the bonds.

Of course, we should endeavor to increase the surplus incrementally, and not simply raise it to $50 million in the next budget, regardless of other financial considerations. But we do need to look at increasing the surplus in Erie County's budget to make sure the County's fiscal health is stabilized and improves, and that the County has flexibility to provide essential services where needed.

But increasing the surplus is not and cannot be a be-all and end-all matter. We in the County Legislature must work at reducing the budget by cutting spending and realistically downsizing government, at least through attrition. This is how we must work now and continue to work in the future to reach fiscal stability.

There is no question that it will take all 15 County Legislators, Democrats and Republicans, new members and veteran legislators, representatives of urban, suburban and rural areas to work toward fiscal stability in Erie County. But I have no doubt that we can accomplish this goal of righting the county's fiscal ship by pitching in now and working as hard as we can. This also means that we on the County Legislature must receive feedback on these vital fiscal matters from our constituents, so every opinion is heard.

Back to District 8 Homepage