The Erie County Legislature unanimously elected Legislator John Mills to his third year as Chairman. The appointment was confirmed at the annual reorganizational meeting held Jan. 7 at the Legislative Chambers.
“It is an honor to have the unanimous support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and I look forward to again serving as Chairman of this honorable body. In my first term we accomplished some great work, including two consecutive tax decreases. As always, our work is never done and we have to continue to serve the taxpayers of Erie County to the best of our ability,” said Chairman Mills.
Unopposed in the 2015 election, Chairman Mills was re-elected to another two-year term and begins his 11th year in the Legislature. Chairman Mills previously served as Minority Leader before the Republican-aligned Caucus took control of the Legislature in January 2014.
In its second term in the majority, the Republican-aligned Caucus, which includes Legislator Edward Rath (R-Amherst), Legislator Kevin Hardwick (R-Tonawanda), Legislator Ted Morton (R-Cheektowaga), Chairman Mills (R-Orchard Park) and Legislator Lynne Dixon (I-Hamburg), elected Legislator Joseph Lorigo (C-West Seneca) to his third term as Majority Leader.
“The Majority Caucus took some meaningful steps toward reform in its first term in control but we still have more to accomplish. While this Legislative majority has shown a willingness to work with the County Executive, I believe government works best with checks and balances. As a majority, we will continue to do both. While I am proud of the many accomplishments of the past two years, I plan to focus these next two years on the areas where we can still provide improvement to taxpayers,” said Majority Leader Lorigo. “Too often, government bodies push ‘flash in the plan’ proposals to make headlines, but I am much more interested in ensuring the long-term viability of this county.”
Majority Leader Lorigo ran unopposed and was re-elected in November to his third term.
For additional information on the Erie County Legislature, please visit www.erie.gov/legislature.