Highlighting another part of this mess of a budget…Apparently the county executive never heard the old saying, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds are a gift from the federal government that will need to be returned if they aren’t allocated by the end of the year.
The county executive vetoed the 0.51 mill tax hike for 2025, but he had a 10.9% tax hike for 2024. What’s the difference between 2024 and 2025? His 2025 re-election campaign starting already?
He vetoed increasing the ECGRA-Childhood Initiative of two million five hundred thousand ($2,500,000.00) dollars, yet he had no problem with giving $1.5 million to Gannon University for Project NepTWNE. In his mind, private college students are a higher priority than the smallest and most vulnerable in Erie County. Fortunately, Erie County Council voted to override this veto. Bayle and Schauerman voted against overriding the veto.
County council failed to override the county executive’s vetoes that defund $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to the Diverse Erie Commission, $750,000 in ARP funds to Grow Erie, and $750,000 in ARP funds to affordable housing. Bayle, Schauerman, and Winarski voted against overriding the vetoes, acting in their usual roles as the the county executive’s rubber stamps.
This is yet another example of how the county executive is breaching his fiduciary duty to the taxpayers of Erie County. ARPA money needs to be allocated by the end of the year or returned–use it or lose it. He’s playing political games with ARPA funds, and the taxpayers can’t afford it.
For more information: Erie County Council axes ‘illegal’ Davis budget vetoes. Administration calls foul.
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