The most visible activities of the Erie County Legislature are the deliberations and votes we conduct at regular sessions and committee meetings. These actions are very important, but there are also proceedings of other public groups to which the County Legislature has appointed members and will act on their recommendations if and when they are filed with us.

As part of the Erie County Legislature’s annual approval of the eighth percent sales tax for 2006 and 2007, the County Legislature and the New York State Legislature voted to share $12.5 million in sales tax with municipalities in Erie County. To review any changes for future distribution, both legislatures formed the Erie County Task Force on Revenue Sharing and Regional Cost Sharing.

The Task Force members are: Chairman David Rutecki, of M&T Bank; Assembly Member Crystal D. Peoples, representing the New York State Assembly; Majority Leader Maria R. Whyte and Legislator John Mills, representing the Erie County Legislature; Paul Clark, Supervisor, Town of West Seneca, and Jonica DiMartino, Trustee, Village of Angola, representing the Association of Erie County Governments; Richard Tobe, representing Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown; James Hartman, representing the Erie County Executive, and Joseph Hogankamp, treasurer of the City of Tonawanda. It is vital that the funds the municipalities receive are used to address their tax rates and not go to special, one-time projects.

The Charter Revision Commission is conducting meetings and hearings to develop ways to structurally address the way the county functions and conducts its business. The Commission recently voted to recommend that Erie County alter its structure to govern with both a County Executive and County Manager. The Commission has not recommended specific wording or changes in the charter for this or other issues for the County Legislature to consider.

I believe that the Charter Revision Commission should send a comprehensive package of recommendations to the County Legislature for its consideration. The County Charter’s update must be done in a comprehensive, structured, legal and realistic manner. We cannot afford to have proposed revisions presented and voted on piecemeal, because if one item is not accepted by the County Legislature, it could undermine the other revisions accepted or to be voted on by the Legislature, or a revision that would allow for other action and revisions to be considered could be turned down, delaying or hurting the entire process.

We welcome and will continue to participate in frank, public and energetic discussions of Charter Revision Commission and financial matters as we work to return Erie County to financial stability and improve how the county operates.

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