The Erie County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Majority Leader Joseph Lorigo, seconded by Legislator Betty Jean Grant, to move forward with the process to determine how to allocate $1 million in the fight against the opioid/heroin epidemic.

For years the Legislature has debated how to deal with the growing epidemic.  Today’s unanimous decision from the Legislature signaled a new path forward.  Legislators agreed to direct the County’s Department of Health to expedite a request for proposals (RFP) asking the private sector to come forward with a plan. 

“Government has been trying to solve the war on drugs for years, and it has barely made a dent.  It is time to focus on offering serious solutions, not simple spending proposals.  We sit around talking about how much money to spend and the conversation inevitably stalls when it turns to where,” said Lorigo. 

His plan would allow the Legislature to debate the merits of private sector, solutions-based plans, and appropriate the money to the organizations with the winning proposals.   

“This year has already proven to be a difficult one with numerous deaths, and we have to continue to examine this issue.  Twice in the last few months, the County has called emergency press conferences to announce that deaths are spiking due to a bad batch of heroin that might be on the street.  While those press conferences are important, we can’t just keep delivering bad news and issuing warnings as a reaction; we need to start finding real solutions. As Majority Leader, that’s the direction I plan to take,” said Lorigo.

Majority Leader Lorigo expressed sincere thanks to both the Health Commissioner and Mental Health Commissioner for their input on this issue, and looks forward to hearing from experts in the private sector who are assisting us in this fight.  “Government is not the answer to this problem, and neither is blind spending.  I believe the answer lies in collaborating with our partners in the private sector, where a dollar often goes ten times further than it would in county government.  We have world-class social services organizations in Erie County, and partnering them with the outstanding public health professionals like our two commissioners is a win-win for taxpayers and families dealing with the struggle of addiction,” concluded Majority Leader Lorigo.