Collins Vetoes Legislature's Deceitful Combination of Increase of Term & Downsizing

July 30, 2009

Says voters should be given an opportunity to vote on two matters separately

Calling it deceitful, Erie County Executive Chris Collins today formally vetoed the County Legislature's local law that puts before the voters a combined measure to downsizing the Legislature by two members and increase legislative terms from two to four years. The Legislature asked a commission of local residents to study the issue of downsizing. The Commission's official report recommended a much more drastic reduction than the one proposed by the Legislature.

"Simply stated, passage of this law is an insult to the recommendations of the commission, and is nothing more than election year politics being sold to the public as reform," said Erie County Executive Chris Collins. "This Legislature is once again attempting to mislead the public on this issue, and I cannot in good faith agree that this slight of hand is true reform."

In his veto message to Chair Lynn Marinelli, Collins expresses his disappointment that the two separate issues are combined in one law. While he supports downsizing, Collins sees the term extension as nothing more an incumbency protection plan disguised as reform.

"I am vetoing this legislation in the faint hopes that the Legislature will do the right thing and present the voters with a real choice that separates the reform of reducing the size of the Legislature from a self-serving incumbency protection plan," continued Collins. "Two year terms for members of legislative bodies are commonplace in county and state houses around the nation, as well as in the United States House of Representatives. If the founding fathers felt it was appropriate for the United States House of Representatives, I simply refuse to supplant their wisdom with that of career politicians focused on job entrenchment and protection."

"For decades, the residents of Erie County have been crying out for true reform from their elected leaders," said Collins. "Unfortunately, instead of answering that call, the Legislature opted to trick the public into voting for a reduction of Legislators that achieves nothing more than the extension and protection of the status quo."