In its most recent report, the Western New York Coalition for Progress reviews the various types of county governments permissible under New York State law and makes recommendations for amending Erie County's charter in anticipation of the Erie County's Charter Revision Commission's upcoming vote on proposed changes to the charter.

The Western New York Coalition for Progress believes that our current charter, which calls for independent executive and legislative branches, should not fundamentally be altered. It is our position that recent political and fiscal crises were the fault of our elected officials - not the offices they occupy.

Although we do not advocate replacing our elected county executive with a county manager, nor any sort of hybrid thereof, we do recognize the desirability and possible efficiency that an educated, experienced professional might bring to the administration of county business.

Instead, the Western New York Coalition for Progress recommends the following:

1. Retain our current form of government, including an elected county executive, but strengthen the role and qualifications of the deputy county executive, and make him or her subject to legislature confirmation. Under our proposal, the deputy county executive would become the chief operating officer of the county. He or She should, at minimum, have an accredited advanced degree (masters or higher) in public administration, and at least ten years' experience in municipal government management in a jurisdiction with a population of at least 200,000.
2. Require the directors of budget and management, purchasing, informational and support services, and other department heads to be subject to legislature confirmation. Additionally, the budget and purchasing directors should possess graduate-level degrees, and have at least five years' worth of experience preparing municipal budgets and purchasing, respectively.
3. Ensure that the county executive, deputy county executive, and budget director provide the legislature and comptroller with monthly budget monitoring reports by withholding their pay until they materially comply.
4. Require one member of the legislature's central staff to be a qualified professional budget officer. That person should have an advanced degree and proper experience in the preparation or review of municipal budgets.
5. Require any revenue estimates contained in the administration's proposed budget to be reviewed and confirmed for validity by the comptroller's office. The county executive's proposed budget must have a sound fiscal basis, and the comptroller's office should review these figures and be held accountable for them.

While Erie County's recent history may indicate that substantial changes in the form of government are appropriate, we reject that notion as a short sighted reaction to events created by individuals, not a defect in the county's structural form of governance. As noted in the report, there are many forms of governance used by counties in New York State. No system can be claimed to be better than the others. All counties in New York face the same issues, and if managed properly, can provide the services needed by their constituents in a fiscally prudent manner.

It is our opinion that by requiring greater legislative confirmation powers over key members of the executive branch, as well as requiring key executive and legislative branch appointees to possess advanced degrees and appropriate experience, we can add professionalism to county government without destroying a system that in theory works, and has served us well in the past.

The people of Erie County deserve a system of government that functions, and it is our opinion that the current system, with appropriate modifications, is a good system that will, with the right leadership, serve its citizens well.