Oftentimes, county legislators are the first line of defense when it comes to fielding questions and concerns surrounding the ongoing damage sustained by our roads. While year after year I support allocating additional funds for road and infrastructure repairs, I unfortunately have many of the same frustrations as my constituents, with little to no relief in sight. The Legislature secures the appropriate funding, but the work is simply not being done by our county administration.
As many of you have experienced firsthand, the roads in our community are currently a disaster. Wolhueter Road in the Town of Boston is being cited by residents as one of the worst in the Southtowns. A recent news report showed footage of crumbling pavement and shoulders that barely exist. This is unacceptable.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. For the past several years, my office has heard hundreds of complaints about Zimmerman Road in the Town of Boston, Lake Shore Road, Freeman Road and Genesee Road among many others in southern Erie County. The Legislature approved an additional $3 million in funding for roads last month and is committed to investing in these projects, but I have no reason to believe the work is actually being done. The administration has not provided us with any kind of clear timeline of when they plan to get to work and it may be simply putting a band-aid on the problem. The longer these roads are neglected, the more of a safety hazard they become. Children, families, taxpayers and the community as a whole deserve better than this.
For these reasons, I am working to arrange a road tour with the commissioner of public works and county director of engineering to show them the issues my office receives complaints about on a regular basis. Hopefully, this will send the message that we need to work toward a solution and stop making excuses. Even though it is ultimately up to the administration’s priorities, I will not stop advocating for long-term repairs.
In the meantime, I have launched a sign campaign calling on the county executive to take action. The signs read “Poloncarz Fix This Road Now” and can already be seen in many front lawns throughout the county. There are still a few available. If you’d like one, please contact my office at john.mills@erie.gov or 716-858-8850.
I would also like to note that I often attend regularly scheduled board meetings in my district. I do this to bring county government to the local towns and villages I represent. I will be at the Town of Eden board meeting June 13th at 7pm and the Village of North Collins board meeting June 19th at 6:30 pm. I would love to see you there.