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TALKING POINTS
October 20, 2006
WNY Coalition for Progress Supports Passage of Erie County’s Charter Revision Referendum
Earlier this spring, the Western New York Coalition for Progress issued a report reviewing the various types of county governments permissible under New York State law, which report also made recommendations for amending Erie County's charter in anticipation of the issuance of the Erie County's Charter Revision Commission's recommendations. You can review the full report on the Internet at: www.wnyprogress.org/county_report.pdf.
Following issuance of our report, Erie County’s Charter revision Commission did in fact make recommendations to revising the county’s charter, including some recommendations proposed by the Coalition and others which we rejected outright.
The Coalition believes that our current charter, which calls for independent executive and legislative branches, should not be fundamentally altered. It is our position that recent political and fiscal crises were the fault of our elected officials - not the offices they occupy. Thus the Coalition was not in favor of the proposed hybrid county manager form of government.
This position was taken by Erie County’s legislature when it passed almost all recommendations of Charter Revision commission, while rejecting the county manager hybrid proposal favored by the current county executive. Most of the revisions passed by the legislature should create a better, more accountable government.
While we believe that more work needs to be done to put Erie County back on the road to fiscal stability, the charter revisions passed by the legislature, and signed by the county executive, are a good first step.
Therefore, the WNY Coalition for Progress recommends that all members cast a vote in favor of the proposed charter amendments during this upcoming November’s county charter revision referendum.
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