MARCH 12, 2007

COUNTY LEGISLATURE ANNUAL REPORT ILLUSTRATES ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2006 UNDER CHAIR MARINELLI

Under the Erie County Legislature's Rules 5.03, I recently submitting the Legislature's 2006 annual report for the public record, and a full report was presented at the WNY Coalition for Progress meeting February 20, 2007.

The Erie County Legislature is the representative branch, with powers and duties defined by the Erie County Charter. Note in 2006, of the 15 members, nine were serving their first terms, one in his second year, one in his fourth year, and four had 10 years or more of legislative service.

In 2006, under my first year as chair, the following are key accomplishments:

• Heightened the legislative role of monitoring and oversight; empowered the eight standing committees, with a focus on consensus building.
• Major focus on fiscal stability and the county's four-year plan; tracking of the four-year plan initiatives; held meetings with the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority or attended their sessions; on-going work toward efficiency grants.
• Created Legislature Policies and Procedures and worked with less staffing.
• Began quarterly committee chair's meetings, all open and publicized.
• Charter Review Commission's work concluded. After public deliberation, the legislature voted 15-0 and voter approval was more than 70 percent. Review of the Blueprint for Change and CPS/EMS are still underway.
• Erie County Medical Center consent decree voted in January.
• Board of Elections funded, including two successful special elections.
• NRG/Huntley plant unanimously supported for state investment.
• Instituted mid-year budget hearings in June.
• Parks/forestry review done; beaches re-opened on weekends.
• Library Protection Act local law made permanent.
• Apprenticeship law and Pesticide Notification law approved.
• Capital budget: borrowing reduced, with better tracking and priorities established, and an improved system of close-out for debt paying.
• Sales tax extension, with $12.5 million sharing formula, adopted.
• Reimbursed health fees to certain not-for-profits and civic groups.
• 2007 COUNTY BUDGET (early release due to Democratic law), passed 11-4, ahead of deadline, tightly balanced, no property taxes raised, proposed fees rejected, cut some new jobs and some vacant lines. The ongoing assessment of priorities and delivery of services resulted in restored areas of probation, youth, parks, culturals, library, CVB, Soil & Water District and Cornell Cooperative investments. The $1.2 billion budget, 88 percent mandated, was adopted as amended without veto.

On top of all of these accomplishments, the County Legislature continues its work in many areas to implement approved changes to increase our oversight and improve how Erie County conducts its business. A major area of this is the working group I appointed to follow through on the Erie County Charter revisions approved in 2006, to make sure that they are implemented.

Readers can contact my office with comments at 832-0493 or Marinelli@erie.gov.

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