As COVID-19 spread slows down, Legislator Mills seeks to revoke County Executive’s power of executive authority

Modified: March 16, 2021 4:32pm

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Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Erie County Legislators John Mills, Joe Lorigo, Chris Greene, and Frank Todaro have introduced a resolution to remove County Executive Poloncarz’s temporary executive authority that was granted to him at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of granting executive authority was to expedite decisions and spending during the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as case numbers quickly rose. Since then, the number of COVID-19 cases has gone down and the local economy is beginning to re-open with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Legislator Mills said, “Our resolution is simply saying it’s time to restore the order of the legislative branch. We’ve been through months of one-sided decision making and it’s no longer necessary as COVID-19 numbers have dropped significantly. If something needs urgent approval, we can call a special session within 48 hours. The bottom line is that we need to get back to a system of checks and balances, especially before we get a huge pot of money from the federal government.”