Erie County Legislators Frank Todaro, Joe Lorigo, Chris Greene, and John Mills 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 Todaro said, “We’re finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the COVID-19 pandemic. As we move forward with the next round of federal funding, the Legislature needs to be part of the decision-making process when it comes to spending it. We represent all different areas of Erie County and have a responsibility to make decisions that best serve everyone. When one person is calling all of the shots, our voices as legislators and the voices of all Erie County taxpayers are lost. We need to have a seat at the table when this $178 million comes in from the federal government.”