My mission to understand the issues that matter most to Erie residents as our election nears continues with the topic of fiscal responsibility. I know - boring! But hugely important.
Does your vote count in Erie? In 2018, the voters of Erie were asked a question on ballot issue 3A: Shall the Town of Erie's debt be increased by not more than $13,750,000 for the construction and equipping of a Town Hall expansion?
The voters were clear -
YES - 2430
NO - 4355
64% said no! So why do we have a new $21.1M Town Hall and remodel in the era of hybrid work, which takes the pressure off office space, and how was it paid for?
Last week at a Council study session, it became clear that Erie has a spending problem, with financial projections described as “sobering.” The Council plans to cut back on street maintenance budget requests from Public Works in 2025, which is how we avoid future high-cost road replacements.
Similarly, to make the numbers work, future projections of capital spending five years out are ~40% lower than today’s spending. This may make the chart look good, but it seems overly optimistic when the cost of everything continues to increase, a $30M+ police expansion is on the horizon, and new priorities will likely emerge.
As the Council ignores the people's will and continues to spend, spend, spend, it leaves little for future needs, including necessities like road maintenance.
Your opinion matters. What do you think?
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