Dear Citizens of Erie County and the 14^th Legislative District:

As I end my first six months in the Erie County Legislature and as Chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee I would like to present some observations to my fellow citizens.

The Energy and Environment Committee of the Erie County Legislature is committed to conducting the peoples' business in full public view. This new way of operating means there is total transparency for all the citizens of the county to learn about the challenges facing this government as well as the solutions.

Each issue that appears on the agenda of the Energy and Environment Committee is entitled to a full hearing. Sometimes this may require more than one meeting, or a special meeting. Due diligence is the watchword of the committee. Past mismanagement and lack of deliberative oversight led to the fiscal crisis we are working to resolve. This committee is determined to prevent the decisions that we make today from becoming the problems of tomorrow.

Several glaring management inadequacies have come to light. Fundamental business questions are unable to be answered the first time they are asked. Responses are often not consistent throughout a discussion. A level of detail expected in any business to provide a sound basis for informed decision making is often unavailable meeting after meeting. Oversight committee questioning is often viewed by department heads as onerous and burdensome. Years of back room deal making to please a few vested interests have made it difficult for administrators to operate in the clear and dispassionate light of day.

When only one vendor responds to a Request for Proposal it signals that the Request for Proposal process is flawed. When lease agreements for county property do not even cover the basic utility costs, it is clear the leasing procedures are flawed. When fees are set that do not cover the cost of the operations necessary to collect those fees, a proper analysis has not been employed in the setting of those fees. When valuable county equipment sits idle, efficient deployment has not been mapped. A full review of all county assets and lease agreements is necessary to assure our assets are in competent hands and that our return is of fair market value.

It has become clear that there have been archaic practices institutionalized over the years with little accountability. A full review is in order. Reform of policies and process, as well as a setting of standards and reporting mechanisms need to be implemented. Once Erie County has these day to day management and operating standards formalized and in practice, the public will rest assured their tax dollars are spent wisely. This will arm Legislators with sound information on which to make decisions, and assure taxpayers their dollars are protected and well spent to provide quality services in an efficient manner.

It is my intention to continue to work at improving the practices of government and the bottom line for the tax payers of Erie County. I will continue to inform you as we move along the path to paying off our debt, stabilizing our future and ultimately lowering our property taxes. We all want to see Erie County growing, once again, as a community friendly to families and businesses. Together we will do better.

Sincerely,
Tom.

Similar information appeared in the Buffalo News the week of July 19th 2006 in the Another Voice column.

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