With the community tending to cleanup efforts after enduring hardships from loss of power and sometimes phone service, the County continues to coordinate with local officials and emergency service providers.

Residents who receive food stamps and need to replace food which they lost due to loss of power and refrigeration should have had their cards restored by 73 percent of their monthly food stamp allotment. The county's human services officials (Social Services, health, mental health and senior services) are here to help. Contact your county representative for further information; the County Legislature number is 858-7500. Our compliments go to all community providers for their long hours and hard work.

Due to the extreme weather situation and community priorities, the 2007 county budget process was delayed under the state of emergency. The Legislature's budget hearing process, which began with the submission of the 2007 Erie County Executive Budget, is currently under way. The County Executive submitted the budget October 18. The 2007 County budget calls for holding the line on taxes while delivering vital services as cost effectively as possible. The Legislature's Finance, Management and Budget Committee, chaired by Legislator Demone A. Smith (D-Buffalo), is now reviewing each department's operational and capital funding requests. The budget hearing schedule is posted at the Erie County web site at this direct link: http://www.erie.gov/legislature/budget_process.asp and reported in the news media. The public and media are welcome to attend the budget hearings, which will be held in the County Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo.

The County Legislature, by charter, has until the first Tuesday of December to adopt a balanced budget

The County Legislature continues to focus on financial reform and improving fiscal practices with the Legislature's unanimous approval of a Local Law comprised of the 33 Charter Review Commission recommendations, which will appear on the county ballot in November. We realize that the final decision will be up to you, the voters of Erie County. We endorse the Erie County Charter revisions that will appear as one package on the November 7 ballot and urge that voters conduct their due diligence, as they have throughout this long, detailed process, and join us in supporting the charter changes.

The Legislature strengthened financial oversight and budgetary structure by increasing the County Comptroller's powers, including authorizing the Comptroller to declare a deficit, review revenue projections, and allow the Legislature to reduce such projections by a two-thirds majority vote. These charter changes will help ensure that future budgets include programmatic budgeting, cost accounting, and voting on individual lines.

As always, I welcome feedback. Readers can contact me at my county e-mail at marinelli@erie.gov.

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