COUNTY EXECUTIVE
2009 County Executive State of the County Address
Hello. I am County Executive Mark DiVecchio and for the past three years I have had the privilege of acting as the County of Erie’s Executive Officer. When I was elected to the office of County Executive in 2005, I knew we had enormous challenges, but we also had great opportunities. Since that time, these challenges have impressed upon me the magnitude of the tasks that lay ahead. And those challenges have only steeled my determination to enhance the quality of life for our citizens and strengthened my resolve to see our County succeed.Last year, Erie County along with every other county in PA saw a reduction in state and federal revenues. The United States economic condition in 2009, will force further reductions in revenue re-imbursements as well. This has forced governments throughout the Commonwealth to re-structure and re-think the way the business of government is run.
My administration conducted a year long study of the county’s programs, procedures and personnel to determine where we could become more efficient in our operations and ultimately, reduce our operating costs. Internally, my administration focused this past year on scrutinizing department-wide programs, procedures and personnel to explore alternative ways that will allow us to continue to provide mandated services to our constituents and control costs at the same time. Reviewing our operations to pinpoint areas in need of improvement is an ongoing process. Improving our operations, providing mandated services, and controlling costs is not an easy task when the demand for County programs has increased and the funding we receive from the State and Federal governments has decreased.
In 2008, I directed my staff to look at a new way of doing business at the county. With the state of the economy and funding sources no longer as stable and reliable as they once were, we took a closer look at how we can make changes internally that will carry us through 2009 and beyond.
One of the most important changes we made in 2008 was the move to a fee-for-service system in the field of Human Services. Of the $340 million dollar County budget, 86 percent is allocated to cover the needs of the Office of Children and Youth, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and Mental Health/Mental Retardation. The fee-for-service plan allows providers to provide services and then draw down dollars once a report is filed detailing how and where those dollars were spent. This new system provides us with immediate feedback as to which programs are successful and which programs are struggling. There is no denying that programs, for example, benefiting pregnant women, young mothers and the elderly are valuable to us in the community but the county cannot continue to fund the programs at the level we have in the past. We made the difficult decision of eliminating some programs that were not producing successful results and will continue to look for duplications in programs and closely monitor their progress. The Office of Children and Youth has seen many changes over the past three years, and it has made vast improvements in accountability. At the beginning of 2008, I introduced Maryann Daniels as the new Director at OCY and she brought with her an established record of successes and valuable experience. She has worked hard to restore public confidence in OCY and investment in our workforce has resulted in a decreased turnover in some departments by over 40%. The staff and caseworkers at OCY have devoted themselves to strengthening families and providing optimal care to the children in need, and this low turnover rate means we can continue to focus less on recruiting and retaining employees and more on what matters most — families.
In late 2008, I proudly introduced the county’s new Mental Health/Mental Retardation Director, John DiMattio. John is not new to the county’s MH/MR program and has transitioned seamlessly to the helm. Changes are being made in Human Services and my staff will continue to work with these directors to make sure individuals and families in need are getting the care they deserve.
Because County Government was set up to be the deliverer of Human Services for Erie County, the pressures of our national and local economic conditions, put ever increasing demands on services related to those in poverty. If we are to contain costs, and deliver the services necessary, then we must deal with the issues pertaining to this population in our society. Studies by the Erie Community Foundation have identified the two major reasons that poverty exists in our community: lack of accessible and affordable healthcare and education.
The Department of Health continued our health disparities forums in 2008. Following on the heels of the Fall 2007 forum, a forum was held in the Spring to bring people together from the health and human services field, health care providers, and most importantly, the people whose lives are affected, and in some cases devastated, by the lack of appropriate healthcare. The forums presented an opportunity for providers and consumers to learn more about each other, exchange ideas, and offer solutions. Communication must stay open and constant if we are truly committed to making a difference by eliminating the health disparities that do indeed exist in our community.
And finally, in 2008, the idea of affordable higher education in the form of post secondary education truly started to become reality. The County hired a premier consultant for community colleges, Dr. David Pierce, who has done an outstanding job of aligning the key partners in preparing an application for the development of a community college. Public meetings with community leaders were held, as were site visits to local colleges and universities, along with meetings with constituents. These outreach efforts were done to gauge the community’s interest in a community college, and ultimately, to assess the need for affordable education for Erie County students as well as adults who may be seeking a career change. In the summer of 2008, a group of individuals from both the public and private sector visited Harrisburg to discuss what is necessary to complete an application to establish a community college and pieces of the application are being assembled. The Erie Chamber and Growth Partnership hired Judith Fagan as the Project Manager, and she is charged with coordinating all research and communications relative to the development of the final application to the State. We hope to have the application completed soon and immediately submitted to the state for review and approval.
These projects demonstrate just a few of the ways that we are setting the framework for Erie County’s success. Each of these projects is a step toward a better and stronger Erie County – one that offers opportunity and an improved quality of life to every one of our citizens.
We have seen growth and new opportunities in Erie County. McInnis Rolled Rings is undertaking a multi-million dollar expansion over the next two years which is expected to add about 50 new good paying jobs. Hamot Medical Center will soon be opening a new women and children’s facility and Saint Vincent Health Center opened the Center for Neonatal Intensive Care last September. Most of you have probably seen Millcreek Community Hospital’s building project on upper Peach Street. These are just a few examples of economic progress in our community, and Erie County continues to look for ways to add to these successes and create more jobs, foster economic development, and encourage growth in our business community.
Much of 2008 focused on two priorities. The first priority was to move major regional transformational projects forward for the betterment of the county, such as the expansion of the Erie International Airport Runway.
On Tuesday, March 6th of 2008, an unprecedented agreement was signed between the County of Erie, the City of Erie and the Erie Regional Airport Authority Board of Directors, which was the final piece of the negotiating puzzle. This agreement is evidence of a new level of cooperation among these three entities that will result in the expansion of our airport runway to a distance of 1920 feet. This extension will accommodate larger passenger aircraft as well as cargo planes. In addition, the extended runway will meet all safety regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Heralded as the biggest economic development project for this region in decades, the new runway will directly increase the regional accessibility for passenger and cargo arrivals coming to the area from around the world. The projected conservative return on the County investment will be achieved in less than 5 years. And indirectly, dollars will be spent locally on jet fuel, parts, maintenance services, warehousing and labor.
Moving forward in that same spirit of cooperation, I also assembled government officials and community leaders in the summer of 2008 to discuss the funding necessary to renovate the Tullio Arena to once again return it to its status as a first class facility. This is a project of significant magnitude, and it is key to the continuation of re energizing the downtown and mid-city areas. As is the case with any public building, the Tullio Arena, home to the Erie Otters Hockey Team and the new Erie Bayhawks Basketball Team, has suffered some wear and tear over the years. By working now to secure funding for improvements, we can avoid the escalating construction costs we would be forced to pay in the future. I hope to travel to Harrisburg in 2009 with other proponents of the project so we can share our plans with Governor Rendell. I am optimistic we can secure the funding necessary to make the needed improvements. I will continue to stay in close contact with the Erie Civic Center Authority Board and Management as this project is advanced.
In addition, Erie is quickly becoming an enticing tourist destination, and evidence of increased tourism can be seen in the hotel construction that is taking place in Erie County. For 23 consecutive months, hotel occupancy has increased in comparison to the year before, and in order to meet that demand, over the past year, Erie has seen 650 hotel rooms added into the current inventory of available rooms. This increase in tourism will spur the start-up of more new business and create more jobs in the retail and service industries. You may be surprised to learn that $700 million is spent each year by visitors to Erie County, and approximately 15,000 people are employed in the hospitality industry throughout Erie County.
And we won’t stop there. My Administration will continue to look for ways to leverage dollars and help our fellow community leaders create a more livable and vibrant community for Erie County families.
The past three years could not have been so successful without the active participation of community partners like the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and the Erie Community Foundation, along with our State delegates, school boards, and elected officials.
My Administration is committed to creating a better quality of life for the citizens of our great county. But the work has only begun. I will never stop striving to make the citizens of Erie County the best educated, the healthiest, and the most secure population anywhere in the country -- the kind of community that we in Erie County are proud to call Home.
My goal is to create a sustainable quality of life for the entire community, but there are no shortcuts to success. I encourage you to take an active role in County government. Tell us what you like and what you don’t like. If you have suggestions for cutting costs or improving services, please share your ideas with us. The only way we can continue to improve our programs and services is by listening to the people who use those programs and services. Last year, my office held seven outreach meetings in North East, Millcreek, Harborcreek, West Springfield, Greene Township, Waterford, and Edinboro and we will hold eleven meetings throughout 2009. These meetings give our constituents the opportunity to speak to directors from the various county departments and it gives me the chance to meet some great people from the four corners of the county. I continue to be amazed at the number of thoughtful, insightful people we have here in Erie County. I am making a commitment to each of you today to build on our successes and to never stop working toward a better and brighter future for our citizens.
And Erie County deserves nothing less.