On June 8, the Erie County Legislature voted 11-4 to set a $12 million limit on a capital bond project submittal to be prepared for the comptroller. The bulk of the borrowing will be used to meet contractual obligations.

The main items addressed in the legislative resolution approving the $12 million limit in capital bond spending for the remainder of 2006 include borrowing $7 million for projects including renovations and maintenance at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Erie Community College and the roof to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The remaining $5 million will be used to address prioritized capital projects that affect public safety, roads and bridges.

The action taken by the County Legislature establishing a capital borrowing cap is urgent and needed, one of many vital decisions we are making, to improve upon the ongoing fiscal stability efforts and return fiscal prudence to Erie County. I will continue to assert that Erie County's "credit card" cannot be used to pay for every expense requested, even when there may be some merit to the expenditure. We need to tighten our belts and continue to do more with less.

Two other June initiatives are mid-term 2006 budget hearings, scheduled for Monday through Friday, June 26-29, through the Finance and Management Committee, and the submittal to the County Legislature of the finalized recommendations of the Erie County Charter Revision Commission.

June budget hearings are important for two main reasons. They are one of the ways being implemented to monitor the 2006 budget, so we can see where the spending and savings are and help alert us to areas needing more intense scrutiny. The hearings also provide an opportunity to identify indicators for the building of the 2007 budget, a major project that will continue from today until the final budget is approved.

The Erie County Charter Revision Commission, following several public hearings, approved its final recommendations last week and will send them to the County Legislature, which will then begin its deliberations. The charter review documents are available online at www.eriecharterreview.org. Several charter revisions, if approved by the County Legislature, would then be put up to a public referendum. Opinions on the charter review of my District 11 constituents can be mailed to my neighborhood office at 1701 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216; any Erie County resident can e-mail me their comments at Marinelli@erie.gov. Charter revision is a very important issue that affects all county residents, and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time and effort to review the charter and the charter revision recommendations.

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