The topic of town finances is complex, and I don’t expect most to dive into the details, so I’ll start with the bottom line up front. Erie is projecting a $28M deficit in 2024!.
Erie has a significant spending issue due to the excess hiring of employees and pet capital projects (town hall expansion, “unaffordable” affordable housing), and a needed police station expansion at a cost of ~$35M.
The current leadership has eliminated the rainy day fund, exposing us to the next recession, wildfire, or flood.
The two highest priorities from the 2023 community survey—managing growth and fiscal responsibility—are not being followed.
However, Erie's current leadership focuses on the lowest priority of the 14 community priorities, with just 20% support—serving ALL residents by leaning into DEI, sustainability*, and process improvement.
Erie is projecting a $28M deficit across all funds in 2024.
These decisions have put basic services such as road maintenance at risk.
Without new leadership with a fiscally responsible direction, projects with broad community support, like an outdoor pool/community center, will not be realized for decades due to high debt loads.
The Town of Erie publishes a budget summary each year. The 2024 budget details the structure of Erie’s accounting, community priorities, actual and projected revenues and expenditures, and more.
I reviewed the 2024 budget, and two highlights jumped out.
Erie residents set clear priorities; are our current leaders aligned? The budget highlights 14 community priorities and explains that you, the residents, identified the priorities in a 2023 survey. These priorities should govern the budget's investment and spending strategies.
The first priority is managing growth (Carefully managing growth and development), with 72% of residents marking that as a high priority.
The second priority is fiscal responsibility (planning for the future with reserves and revenues... maintaining a clear and transparent public process), with 71% of residents marking that as a high priority.
The lowest-ranked priority of the 14, with 20% support, is effectively serving ALL residents by leaning into DEI, sustainability, and process improvement. I love that residents highlight managing growth and fiscal responsibility as their top priorities because they are my top two priorities, too! Are these our current leaders’ top priorities?
A projected $28M deficit
Per the 2024 budget, Erie is projecting a $28M deficit across all funds. I understand capital-intensive projects can be lumpy on the budget. However, a deficit of this magnitude, in the same year when the Mayor and Council perform the befuddling act of emptying and eliminating the rainy day fund, necessitates a better explanation to residents than has been provided. And it should be in line with the community priorities mentioned above.
In a recent 2025 budget Study Session, our Mayor and council learned that fulfilling 2025 department capital budget requests would create another crippling deficit, so cuts are already being pre-planned in 2025 for road maintenance and other priorities.
I understand that every decision has tradeoffs and that short-term thinking (spend now, pay later) creates long-term problems (crippling tax burdens to pay for pet projects today).
As I did in my first stretch as Mayor, I vow to be fully transparent with you when decisions are made, especially the tough ones, so you understand the rationale and the path forward.
Andrew Moore
Ensure Erie’s Future - Moore in 2024!
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