In Erie County government, there is a relatively new theme being followed: “promises made; promises kept.” This is an idea that my colleagues in the Minority Caucus and I have embraced as a way of doing business to deliver the reforms residents deserve. During this legislative term, I have seen improvements made that will leave a lasting legacy of smaller, more efficient government.

County Executive Chris Collins delivered his annual State of the County address on March 16, highlighting achievements as well as hurdles facing the county. I applaud the many successes Collins has been able to achieve with the support of like-minded legislators who support efficiency and implementing businesslike practices into the operations of government.

I am a business owner who knows firsthand the restrictions that need to be lifted to allow businesses to grow, employ more people and revitalize Erie County. By giving residents and businesses the tools they need to succeed, we can see reform and improvements, but not until we stop allowing government to get in the way with excessive bureaucracy and taxation.

I first ran for County Legislature because I was troubled with how the county was operating. Once elected, I saw that our representatives were not serving the residents to the best of their ability, and I pledged to do what I could to change that.

County residents have seen the control board reduced to an advisory status; long-term debt reduced by more than $100 million; reduction of the county workforce by 20 percent by the end of 2011; and the rebuilding of the fund balance. Those are just a few examples of improvements made that resulted in Erie County being one of only two large counties in the State of New York that didn’t end 2010 with a deficit.

We are on the right track, but we can’t afford to make any wrong turns. This is why I voted 154 consecutive times to sustain the county executive’s vetoes when the Majority Caucus attempted to add $8 million in new spending to the 2011 budget.

Open any newspaper and you will see that we can’t afford to continue to tax and spend at the same level we did in the past. Not only did Erie County not end 2010 in a financial hole, but it also reported a surplus. These funds will be used to pay down debt, pay for infrastructure improvement projects in cash and ultimately reduce taxes.

If I didn’t work alongside like-minded colleagues, we wouldn’t be changing a single thing in Erie County, just continuing the same practices of spending every penny we taxed from residents’ pockets. I am happy to report that your wallets are no longer being pillaged by county government. For too long residents have had to sacrifice to pay their taxes while officials went on spending sprees.

The message I hear from my constituents is that government is broken and reform is needed. I took that message straight to the Legislature floor, and can say we are delivering change.

If you have a comment about the county budget or other county issues, please contact my Legislative Office at 655-5650 or email jmills13@erie.gov.

(Printed April 7, 2011 in the East Aurora Bee and Orchard Park Bee Newspapers)