COUNTY EXECUTIVE
2008 County Executive State of the County Address
Good evening. In the two years since I have served as Erie County Executive, I have been faced with some challenging tasks and I have enjoyed some great successes. Overall, I am very proud of the progress that has been made in Erie County. Change is occurring. I see it every day, and I hear about it from the scores of people I meet in the many diverse communities of our county. Serving as County Executive is a unique privilege and a great responsibility, and I take very seriously my role in strengthening our community and making it serve the needs of our people.I've spent a great deal of time talking to our citizens one-on-one from every corner of our county. I have listened as they share their experiences and offer their opinions, and I have learned from each one. I am a product of this community. I was born and educated here, and I raised a family here. There is nothing more important to me than seeing Erie County thrive and prosper.
When I began my term as County Executive in 2006, I insisted on being accessible to our citizens. I have established a more visible and available administration – one that is more in touch with the people we serve. We have participated in many community activities and events, and that involvement will continue throughout my term because I firmly believe that it is the duty of the county executive to maintain an active and involved administration.
I have also had the opportunity to meet with more than 30 CEO's, touring their facilities and listening to their needs. I have benefited greatly from their perspectives. These business leaders shared their visions of a strong and stable economy. Continuing to work closely with our local businesses and maintaining open communication with them is of paramount importance to me and my administration. By partnering with our leaders in business and industry, we can successfully stay abreast of the changes in the business climate and take the necessary steps to assemble a skilled workforce to fill existing job vacancies and be prepared for growth in the future.
Much of 2007 focused on structural changes and transition, and I would like to take a few moments to explain the framework for the coming year.
One thing that became quite clear in 2007 is the vital role of the Human Services Department in our community. County government must provide quality care for those Erie County citizens who rely on our services. We have been diligently working on improved methods of providing the most efficient and effective services at the lowest possible cost. My administration is always examining new programs to determine whether they can enhance the ways we identify and bridge gaps in human services.
The Office of Children and Youth has seen many changes over the past two years, and it has made vast improvements in accountability. The restoration of public confidence in OCY continues to be one of my top priorities. Very soon, I will be introducing a new director at OCY who will focus on that mission. This new director brings an established record of success, valuable experience, and a fresh perspective that will be essential in implementing the next phase of the restructuring plan.
The staff and caseworkers at OCY have devoted themselves to strengthening families and providing optimal care to children in need, and I commend them on their dedication to that task.
Our Erie County Prison is a correctional facility, but it must also be a place for a new beginning. Many people entering the prison system have endured a very rough start in life, and as County Executive, it is my responsibility to offer hope through rehabilitation. The Erie County Prison Warden has worked closely with me to establish more educational and vocational programs for inmates that will help them develop the necessary skills for a successful life upon their release from prison. Some of these programs include Alternative Education, Treatment for Addiction, Foundations of Fatherhood, and English as a Second Language. Building a stronger, healthier community means taking care of all the people in our community.
Our new Prison Pre-Release building is a 208-bed facility located adjacent to the Prison, and it is now in full operation. This state-of-the-art center for men and women provides supervision, structure, and programs that help minimum security inmates transition successfully into functioning and productive members of our community.
Over the past several years following the tragedy of 9/11, the role of the Public Safety Department has grown considerably. The County broke ground for a new high-tech Emergency Management Center in 2006 and it will be in full operation by spring of this year. The center will centralize communications for police, fire, and emergency services, as well as house HazMat operations and disaster response. By building this center, the Cities of Erie and Corry and townships such as Millcreek will see a huge cost savings as a result of the centralized location of these emergency services. More importantly, however, efficiency and communications will dramatically improve among emergency personnel across Erie County.
The Erie County Department of Health has been leading the way in educating the community on public health and environmental issues. It is often called upon to explain health topics and it is used as a resource of information by our local media. Last fall, the director of the Health Department and I collaborated with the Erie Community Foundation to organize a community outreach conference to identify the disparities that exist in health care and discuss possible solutions. Over 150 Erie County citizens attended this interactive presentation held at the Blasco Library, and we listened to the observations of scores of people who use the healthcare services in our community. This session was the first of its kind, and additional sessions are being planned this year so that we can resolve the existing disparities in healthcare.
Also, in 2007, the County hosted a Great Lakes conference to address the vexing problem of E coli in our Presque Isle waters. Through the development of a new protocol, visitors to Presque Isle State Park are now given more timely and accurate information on E-coli levels. I must emphasize, however, that the strategies for the County's success are directly related to our ability to recognize and resolve the problem of poverty in our community. County government must work collectively with community partners to establish tangible steps that can be taken to lift our community out of poverty. County government alone cannot solve the poverty crisis. It will take partnerships with the public and private sector and a strong commitment by our community leaders to create jobs that pay family-sustaining wages.
GE Transportation is an excellent example of a private business investing in our community. GE's generous gift of $15 million to the Erie School District is a genuine investment in education programs focusing primarily on math and science for hundreds of students. GE recognizes that its ongoing success in Erie County is contingent on the availability of an educated and skilled workforce. In addition to its collaboration with the Erie School District, GE has also initiated the first phase of its four-year apprentice program.
Another prime example of the collaboration between public and private partnerships is Erie Management Group. Pat Black, Chairman of Erie Management Group, is committed to new business growth and diversification, investing in Erie's present and future. Leading the way in the biodiesel industry, Lake Erie BioFuels has put in place the best people and the best technology producing alternative energies for a global network. Pat's vision is to create long terms jobs for generations to come.
The commitment to job creation by some of our largest businesses will certainly help ease the poverty problem, but I want to share with you just a few of the alarming statistics about the growth of poverty in our community.
According to the U.S. Census in 2006, 16.5% of Erie County residents lived below the poverty level. 8% of our senior citizens over the age of 65 live in poverty. And 25% of our children live in poverty. We should all be gravely concerned when 1 in 4 of our children in Erie County are living in poverty. These numbers tell a story. This is not a race issue, or a gender or age issue – this is a humanity issue.
It is simply not acceptable for so many in our community to work hard every day only to see every penny of their paychecks spent on rent, food, healthcare, and utilities without a dollar left over to save or enjoy.
Poverty has a profound impact on families in our community, and without the availability of proper training or education, some of our citizens are left with little possibility of employment and advancement. It is the common goal of each of us to want more for ourselves, our family, and especially our children.
There is hope. The establishment of a community college is one of the most effective actions we can take to start breaking the cycle of poverty in our community. And I promise over the next two years to make affordable and accessible education not only a possibility, but a reality.
For many years, the subject of an Erie County Community College has been brought up, but the idea never got off the ground due to a lack of support and the resources necessary to sustain it. Through the development of the Northwest Pennsylvania Community College, I am committed to bridging the gap between open jobs and interested, qualified candidates. By working with the Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and the business community, we will look closely at identifying those jobs that are needed right here in Erie County because the quickest way to take someone out of poverty is through education.
In 2006, Ms. Sandi Vito, Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development with the PA Department of Labor and Industry, was invited by Mike Batchelor, President of the Erie Community Foundation, to moderate a public forum on this topic. At the conclusion, Ms. Vito recommended the creation of a Gaps Analysis Committee to study the issue and propose possible solutions. Over 20 community leaders and experts in their field began work in early 2007 and in the fall, they presented a final report.
The overwhelming conclusion was: It is no longer an option to do nothing.
The Gaps Analysis Steering Committee reviewed several options for a community college, and utilizing their recommendations, I developed a business plan for the Northwest Pennsylvania Community College. The model involves the creation of a main college campus supported by programs and services offered at our excellent local colleges and universities.
I have met with the four area college and university presidents, and every one of them expressed support for the community college. We are currently involved in engaging the services of a community college consultant to complete the feasibility stage of the process.
While there is considerable work ahead to begin this process, we are aggressively moving forward toward the goal of welcoming the first Northwest Pennsylvania Community College class in 2009.
I can think of no other project that will be as important to our community as the community college.
The progress that has been made in prioritizing projects such as the community college and the airport runway expansion project, just to name a few, would not have been possible without the active participation from community partners like the Erie Community Foundation, the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and the Manufacturers Association, along with our State delegates, schools boards, and elected officials.
It takes a lot of people . . . along with good, sound ideas . . . combined with time and effort to create a better quality of life for the citizens of our great county.
We are an active administration leading the charge for change. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead, and I am excited that the transformation taking place focuses on making a difference in the lives of our Erie County residents. I want the people of Erie County to be the best educated, the healthiest, and the most secure population anywhere in the country. We will improve access to education, work diligently on job creation, and continue to deliver the best possible services to the citizens of Erie County.
I have been blessed with a great staff of professionals who are dedicated to serving the needs of all the people of Erie County. We, as a community, must work cooperatively together and let nothing deter us from achieving our goals. I know we can make a better Erie County for every citizen, and I ask you tonight to join me in that effort.
Thank you and may God continue to bless us all.