One of the biggest issues currently in my district is one that probably doesn’t impact most of you directly. There is a main roadway in Boston and Concord hat needs to be repaired. It has been ignored by the administration for far too long and now is in really bad shape. Although the roadway isn’t the most used in the county, it is still important and still needs to be safe.

What has upset me most in pushing for this roadway to be fixed is that the residents that do use that roadway have told me that they feel ignored by the County Executive. They are frustrated, for good reason. I don’t believe the County Executive has been on that roadway in a very long time, he hasn’t given the rural towns the attention they deserve. And that isn’t right. He needs to be aware of what is going on throughout the county.

Springville-Boston Road is an important, rural road. When the 219 shuts down, this becomes the main thoroughfare for commercial and passenger traffic to travel north and south in that region. It is also used by emergency vehicles and they are currently having a difficult time responding to calls. We must do continuous road maintenance. Allowing roads to deteriorate to the point of being dangerous is the wrong way to run the county.  We are responsible for all county roads, regardless of size, and as a result we will pay for the repairs eventually.

I might be talking about one specific roadway, but the issue is much bigger than that. This past summer I led a press conference in Boston to call on the County Executive to prioritize infrastructure projects and to not ignore rural Erie County. Springville-Boston Road is just one example of the rural roadways that are being ignored and crumbling. We need the County Executive to recognize the needs of the entire county. I am upset that the residents I speak to feel that their own County Executive doesn’t care about their safety.

Unfortunately, Erie County and many other counties are facing a similar issue in dealing with New York State. Too often policies and decisions that come out of Albany benefit downstate more than our region. Worse, is when the policies hurt all counties without concern for any of our budgets.

On another issue, Approximately 90 percent of the county budget pays for state and federal mandates. That is why I am leading an effort to request that the Governor work the WNY counties to take meaningful steps to address unfunded mandates. We need the Governor to listen to us and help us with regard to this issue and find a solution. Unfunded mandate reform is long overdue and if we are going to do anything to fix the high property tax issue, we need to start there.

At any level of government, we must listen to all residents and address all needs from the smallest town to the biggest city. If one part of the county or state is struggling, it can’t be ignored.

As always, if you ever have a question about a county matter, please contact my office at 858-8850 or email john.mills@erie.gov.