BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN).....Issues that centered on both two-legged and four-legged county residents made their way into Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz's annual 'State of the County' address.
The 45-minute-long speech delivered from the Shea's Performing Arts Center stage and before a heavily partisan audience, saw Poloncarz presented a lengthy wish list of initiatives he wants to accomplish during the final 20 months of his tenure as the county's longest serving County Executive..
"The theme is 'How can we do better'," said Lisa Chimera, deputy county executive.
The highlights were many.
Among them:
* Putting a heavy emphasis on road repairs and infrastructure work.
Poloncarz, since 2020 has allocated more than $250 million for road repairs in all 25 towns and 3 cities within the county.
This year, he is adding another $50 million towards repairing roads and bridges.
* Upgrading a Transit Road sewer line running between Amherst and Clarence - a move that may help kickstart the oft-discussed $250 million town center makeover of the Eastern Hills Mall.
"Sewers aren't sexy but they encourage development," Poloncarz said.
* Bringing he ErieNet broadbend net up to speed especially in such rural communities as Alden and Newstead.
* Pushing suburban towns to relax zoning requirements in order to allow for the development of "double" homes.
* Allocating $2 million from county surplus funds to help qualified, first-time home buyers a chance at reduced mortgages.
* Negotiating with the NFTA to take over the 24-acre Red Jacket Park in South Buffalo and add it to the county's public parks portfolio.
* And, as an avid golfer and self-described dog lover, allowing golfers playing at the Grover Cleveland Park course to bring their leashed dogs with them. This would be a one-year pilot program.
Erie County Legislator Lindsay Lorigo said many of those initiatives will be hard sell to her fellow lawmakers.
Lorigo said she has more questions than answers.
"I disagree with his approach," Lorigo said. "If anything, he should be giving back (money) to the taxpayers. I just don't see the solutions to the proble,s."
Mark Poloncarz delivered a diverse wish list of initiatives
Mark Poloncarz delivered a diverse wish list of initiatives
