2009 State of the County

 

Hon. Chris Collins

Erie County Executive

 

Good morning and thank you for being here today.

 

I want to thank Marsha Henderson for her gracious welcome and the University at Buffalo for hosting us today.

 

Under President John Simpson, the leadership at UB shares my vision for this community, and together I know we will accomplish great things for the University and the County.

 

I also want to thank Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams for leading the pledge today.

 

While we may not always share the same politics, we share a belief in the people of this community, and I appreciate her leadership and sacrifice for our country.

 

Thank you, Legislator.

 

I also want to thank Monsignor James Campbell for today's invocation.

 

Finally, I want to acknowledge my good friend Jon Dandes for his kind introduction.

 

In order to successfully grow our region, we need to support the business community, and Jon, as the Chairman of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, is the kind of partner we need at this crossroads in our County's history.

 

Thank you, Jon.

 

I also want to thank my beautiful wife Mary, our 18-year old daughter Caitlin and our 16 year-old son Cameron for joining me today.

 

When I pledged to work for a dollar a month for the citizens of this county, Mary and I committed to donating that salary to charities that are doing important work in our city.

 

Last year, we established the Brighter Future Fund.

 

Since then, we have donated $160,000 to charities in our community, like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

 

It has been an honor to support their work, and I look forward to continuing that in the future.

 

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I come before you today to deliver my second State of the County address.

 

We gather together this morning at a very uncertain time in our county and our nation's history..

 

As New York State looks to close an historic budget gap, Erie County - and all New York counties - are under tremendous pressure.

 

The downturn in the national economy is impacting our local community in countless ways.

 

While we certainly have significant challenges, I also see significant opportunities.

 

And, while today's speech is important, those who know me best will not be surprised that I'm already focused on what I have to do tomorrow.

 

I've always been future focused.

 

Taking care of tomorrow's business today.

 

My focus on the future has served me well during my 35 year career in the private sector.

 

As Erie County's Chief Executive, I'm working every day to make sure we run Erie County like the billion dollar business it is, with a focus on the future.

 

That's what the taxpayers elected me to do, and I am proud to report back that is exactly what we are doing in Erie County.

 

You hear politicians talk a lot about the future...what they hope to accomplish...what they want to achieve.

 

Unfortunately, for most politicians, their future is defined as the next two to four years.

 

I define our future as the next 20 to 50 years with a focus on our children, grandchildren, and generations not yet born.

 

I outlined my focus and plan as I campaigned for this position.

 

Simple and straight forward, it became known as my 3 R's.

 

Reform county government.

 

Rebuild the economy.

 

And ultimately, Reduce taxes.

 

The 3 R's are interconnected and dependent on one another.

 

The result will be the bright future we all want for our children and grandchildren right here in Erie County.

 

This past year, the vast majority of my time was spent on that first R...reforming county government.

 

Reform of anything isn't fast, and it isn't easy.

 

Erie County is no exception.

 

This community spends a great deal of time complaining about the status quo.

 

But this community also spends a great deal of time protecting it.

 

And, as I have said before, the status quo must go, but they do not go quietly.

 

Despite the critics and the challenges, my administration dove right in.

 

So before we look to the future, let's review the recent past.

 

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My proudest achievement this past year was assembling an all-star team of professional commissioners and department heads.

 

We've hired the best and brightest without regard to politics, and it has served the taxpayers well.

 

They are lead by my new Deputy County Executive Al Hammonds who originally joined my administration as Director of Six Sigma.

 

Al's energy and enthusiasm is apparent to anyone who meets him.

 

And his persona is matched by his job performance.

 

As a registered Democrat, he proves that my administration is focused not on politics, but on proven results.

 

While I selected my commissioners and department heads, I inherited a county workforce some 5,000 strong.

 

As I have seen every day for 13 months, Erie County employees are dedicated, accomplished and hardworking.

 

And it has been my pleasure to get to know them and the quality of their work over the past year.

 

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With 35 years of private sector experience, I made Lean Six Sigma the cornerstone of my administration's efforts to reform county government.

 

Erie County is the first large county in the United States to implement Lean Six Sigma.

 

One year in, Erie County has embraced Lean Six Sigma initiatives as a way to greatly increase efficiency and decrease waste.

 

In addition, Lean Six Sigma is empowering county employees to suggest changes to their work processes.

 

As a result, county employees are improving the quality of the services they provide and cutting costs at the same time.

 

Today, there is a waiting list of union employees looking to sign up for Lean Six Sigma training.

 

By the end of this year, our Lean Six Sigma program will have trained and graduated 200 Yellow Belts and 36 Green Belts.

 

This level of accomplishment is achieved through over 5,000 hours of classroom training and the implementation of successful projects.

 

This first wave of projects has generated total annual taxpayer savings over $2 million, far surpassing initial expectations.

 

These projects are impacting the County's bottom line, and people's lives.

 

There is no better example than a project driven by our professionals in Mental Health.

 

Using the principles of Lean Six Sigma, our Mental Health staff worked to reduce the number of juveniles being placed in residential treatment.

 

This mandated service historically costs Erie County $8 million a year.

 

It also forces struggling youth to be away from their loved ones while receiving the care they need.

 

Through our Lean Six Sigma project, Erie County has been able to dramatically reduce the utilization of residential treatment.

 

This project alone saved county taxpayers $1.5 million in 2008 and is on track to save another $1.6 million this year.

 

But just as importantly, it has made a dramatic impact on the lives of those we serve.

 

Another Lean Six Sigma project in our Department of Probation reduced the amount of time needed to prepare a pre-sentencing report from 12 weeks to 4 weeks - a 75% reduction in the amount of time needed to complete this task.

 

And the examples go on and on.

 

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Our efforts have received national attention, and other governments - both near and far - are learning from our success.

 

For example, the Town of Clarence is taking the next step and is now implementing Six Sigma in their town.

 

At a time when Erie County is dealing with increasing costs and decreasing state aid, our Lean Six Sigma program continues to be our best opportunity to improve services and create true, lasting taxpayer savings.

 

This is the right use of New York State efficiency grant money, and I commend the Control Board for funding Six Sigma and these savings.

 

As always, our offer to help Governor Paterson implement Lean Six Sigma in Albany is open, and while I have not heard from him yet, we stand ready to assist.

 

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It would be impossible to sit here and list all of our departments' respective accomplishments in one speech.

 

But I would like to tell you about some examples of the returns our Commissioners are providing to taxpayers every day.

 

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Our Social Services department acts as the vital safety net in Erie County.

 

Providing aid to those who are struggling, and safety to those who need protection.

 

One of the department's main goals is to help people become self sufficient through job placement services.

 

Our Social Services Employment Division placed over 2,700 clients into employment last year which reflects an average placement rate of 24%.

 

In addition, our Transition to Work team helped increase the income of over 1,800 families through employment opportunities - enough to close their public assistance cases.

 

Taxpayers can be proud of our efforts to transition clients off of public assistance and into solid paying jobs that form a foundation for improving their lives.

 

Social Services impacts lives on a daily basis.

 

It also represents nearly two-thirds of our county budget.

 

That's why Commissioner Mike Weiner and his staff are constantly working to find new, more efficient, and less costly ways to deliver these important mandated services.

 

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Hopefully you will never come to personally know the work of our department of Emergency Services.

 

But you should take comfort in the department's skill and ability...led by Commissioner Greg Skibitsky.

 

As you may remember, our Emergency Services department had the foresight to decline participation in New York's Statewide Wireless Network or SWN.

 

Instead, we successfully built out our existing 400 megahertz system and began replacing the low band radio systems often used by volunteer responders in rural communities.

 

In the end, our decision was praised and saved us $28 million.

 

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Our Department of Personnel, under Commissioner John Greenan, led the implementation of my administration's new hiring program designed to maximize the use of Regular Part Time or “RPT” employees.

 

These employees work as many as 39 hours a week, but receive half of the regular employee time-off benefit package.

 

By filling county vacancies with RPT employees, Erie County is more effective in deploying necessary manpower and will save nearly $800,000 annually.

 

Our outdated paper system is being replaced with a new electronic swipe system.

 

This new system not only saves paper, but will trim the Personnel staff through attrition.

 

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Upon taking office, I was shocked to learn that an inventory of all county property had not occurred in almost a decade.

 

At my urging, our Department of Information and Support Services and the Division of Purchasing led the County in a full asset inventory in partnership with the County Comptroller's office.

 

As a result, the County is now able to better monitor all of its assets and reduce replacement purchases when possible.

 

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After a reorganization that rolled our Department of Fleet Services into the Department of Public Works, we began an aggressive program to monitor gasoline usage.

 

And, thanks to the leadership of former County Legislator and current New York State Senator Mike Ranzenhofer, we are beginning to equip our fleet with GPS units to further maximize efficiencies.

 

These programs will help us forecast costs, save money and pinpoint abuse.

 

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Under my administration we are finally getting smart about how we use county owned and leased facilities.

 

Our Real Estate initiative...led by Michelle Mazzone...re-engineered nearly 47,000 square feet of office space in the Rath Building last year.

 

We also re-negotiated leases to save taxpayers $80,000 annually and will terminate another five unnecessary leases in the coming years, saving approximately $2.6 million.

 

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In year's past...our Parks Department had become a victim of budget cuts and worse yet, personified a can't do attitude.

 

What a difference a year makes.

 

Commissioner Jim Hornung has led by example and reenergized his staff.

 

As a result, crews installed 8 new playgrounds, rebuilt 7 park shelters and 2 warming stations, repaired 3 bridges and built a new driving range at Elma Meadows golf course.

 

We also partnered with local companies and volunteer organizations to improve our parks.

 

In fact, my Boy Scout troop rebuilt a cabin in the County forest that was scheduled for demolition.

 

With the same level of funding as in years past, Wendt and Bennett beaches are now open 7 days a week during the summer and you can ski, free of charge, at Emery Park all week long.

 

We re-established our forestry division, developed a forest management plan and removed 200 dead or dangerous trees from Como Park alone.

 

Our parks now operate on a new computer system and a Six Sigma project instituted an on-line reservation system.

 

Finally, community partnerships and corporate sponsorship made it possible to bring back Santa Land and Winterfest at Chestnut Ridge and introduce Wellness Walks throughout our parks.

 

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Some of our most dramatic results have come from the Department of Veterans Services, which I elevated to be a department that reports directly to me.

 

Erie County is caring for and respecting its veterans like never before under Veterans Services Director Patrick Welch.

 

His office is focused on veterans who served in wars already in the history books and those who arrive home each week from Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

Veterans returning to Erie County from those war zones can now receive a totally free college education thanks to a partnership between Erie County and several local colleges.

 

These institutions are waving any tuition expenses not covered by the Federal GI Bill or New York's Veteran's Tuition Award.

 

Erie County needs to give these young men and women...our newest generation of veterans, a reason to stay and make a life right here in Erie County.

 

Our community and our economy will benefit from their energy, character and bravery.

 

When we think of a veteran, we tend to envision a member of the military fighting in a far away land during a time of war.

 

But what about those brave men and women who stood at the ready, prepared to defend our country at a moments notice during the years of tension and hostile competition known as the Cold War.

 

That's why this past November, I signed into law a partial property tax exemption for Cold War era veterans...a group left out of previous exemptions.

 

Erie County also announced a new collaboration to provide indigent veterans with a proper burial, free of charge.

 

Sadly, some veterans end up dying without savings or strong family connections.

 

Despite their personal circumstances, all veterans deserve the honor of a proper burial .

 

Erie County is now making sure that is exactly what happens.

 

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Sometimes the fight for needed reform takes us beyond the walls of the Rath Building.

 

Honoring a campaign promise, my administration effectively suspended the County's Apprenticeship Law, first passed by the Legislature in 2006.

 

The Apprenticeship Law prevented contractors without apprenticeship programs from competing for county construction work.

 

By effectively suspending the County's Apprenticeship Law, we opened county construction business to all contractors making the process more equitable and more cost effective.

 

By suspending the Apprenticeship Law we also sent a signal to the rest of the state, and the country, that Erie County is open for business.

 

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Continuing that fight for reform, we have partnered with our friends in Monroe and Onondaga counties to form the Upstate Mandate Relief Commission.

 

We are calling on Albany to change their ways and finally get serious about the unsustainable burdens their unfunded mandates place on the counties.

 

But as I always say, don't just bring me a problem, bring me a solution.

 

So we will be giving Albany concrete solutions to save real dollars and fundamentally restructure our broken system.

 

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The financial future of our county is largely tied to our relationship with Erie County Medical Center.

 

ECMC is a first rate hospital with a world class trauma center.

 

But it's clear to everyone that Erie County must get out of the hospital business once and for all.

 

That's why I formed a commission to help achieve that result over the next year.

 

As that panel continues its work, the County and ECMC took two major steps in the right direction.

 

Late last year, my administration and the leadership at ECMC reached an important agreement surrounding the $16 million county Medicaid obligation to the nursing home.

 

To ease the burden on Erie County taxpayers, ECMC agreed to voluntarily pay the debt service on the $101 million bond debt related to the pretend sale of the hospital back in 2004 for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

 

This offsets the $16 million Medicaid payment, protecting Erie County taxpayers.

 

Despite premature, harsh and unfounded criticism from our chronically short-sighted naysayers, this agreement was achieved exactly as I outlined.

 

It is budget neutral and a significant win for local taxpayers.

 

When elected County Executive, I pledged to never sign a new union contract that did not deal with the strangling cost of retiree health care in a real and meaningful way.

 

Previous administrations have negotiated union contracts that included free retiree health care for life.

 

As a result, today, Erie County has an unfunded liability for retiree health care costs totaling $750 million.

 

This staggering number is simply unaffordable and unfair to taxpayers and future generations.

 

One year into my administration, Erie County, ECMC and the union representing county nurses agreed on a new contract that upholds my pledge.

 

As part of this new contract, new hires will no longer receive retiree health care.

 

Current employees will pay 50 percent of their retiree health care costs.

 

In addition, new hires will pay 15 percent of their health insurance costs, while current employees will pay 15 percent of any increase to health insurance.

 

The new contract also eliminates summer hours, 2 paid holidays, and reduces the paid lunch period for new hires.

 

We recognize the hard work and vital skill set of our county nurses and compensated them with a much needed raise.

 

And, this new contract is a significant step forward in the effort to merge ECMC and Kaleida.

 

I want to thank Jody Lomeo and the leadership of ECMC for their commitment to superior healthcare and to local taxpayers.

 

The new nursing contract has now set the template for future contract negotiations with the other eight county unions...all of which have expired contracts.

 

As the nursing contract proves, significant changes in retiree health care will be accepted by union employees when they receive a fair increase in wages.

 

And I hope the leadership of our other county unions recognize this reality moving forward.

 

If the County is able to negotiate similar contracts with our other unions, our unfunded retiree health obligation will be ZERO in 30 years and our children and grandchildren will look back and say, Thank You.

 

This opportunity is too great and our unfunded liability too large to settle for new contracts that just tinker around the edges.

 

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As you may have heard me say before, sometimes I think my day job is providing entertainment on the evening news.

 

So perhaps you have recently heard that the Legislature and I had a minor disagreement over some budgetary issues.

 

Disagreements are a part of government.

 

But governing is about working through those disagreements to accomplish a bigger vision for the benefit of the taxpayers, not the special interests.

 

And while I firmly believe in this Administration's policies and decisions, I have learned the importance of discussing and sharing our ideas with our colleagues in the Legislature.

 

They have an important role in the process and important ideas to make Erie County better.

 

As we shift our focus to economic development, I believe this Legislature can become a strong partner in realizing our vision and executing our pro-growth plan.

 

And, I welcome their support of pro-business policies that create jobs and opportunity for generations to come.

 

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With my first year spent focused on reform, this year my sights are set on the second R....rebuilding our economy.

 

It's a tall order to be sure.

 

But we have the tools, we have the knowledge, we have the assets.

 

Last month, we took a strong step in that direction by partnering with the City of Buffalo and all 44 towns, cities and villages on a $1.9 billion joint stimulus request submitted to Washington.

 

It is an example of how the City and County are working together on the critical challenges confronting our community.

 

With Mayor Byron Brown, we have a strong partner in our efforts to rebuild this economy.

 

I want to thank Byron for his leadership, his friendship and his commitment to our community.

 

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In order to fully revitalize our economy, Erie County needs a vision and a plan, just we like we do in the private sector.

 

Our vision is simple: Erie County will become a world-class community that benefits its citizens by fostering a place where people want to live and work, businesses want to invest and locate, and tourists want to visit.

 

And, just as importantly, my administration has developed a plan to make that vision a reality.

 

Not another abstract plan to collect dust on an office shelf.

 

But a fluid, living, working plan to bring this community together to create a future filled with economic opportunity today and for generations to come.

 

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It's called the Road to a Bright Future, and we have provided a copy to everyone here in the audience.

 

And, in case some of our friends are asking - no, you did not pay for it.

 

It's a guidebook, a roadmap to rebuilding our economy.

 

Erie County's Road to a Bright Future begins with ten key agenda items that will serve as guidance for the actions that County government, under the leadership of Commissioner Holly Sinnott, will take over the next three years to help our community grow and prosper.

 

We will be tracking our progress on our website, so the public can hold us accountable for our promises, just like we do in the private sector.

 

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The Road to a Bright Future starts with recognizing and understanding that Erie County is a global gateway community.

 

We need to stop looking at Erie County from a highly local perspective, with its loss of manufacturing jobs and outward movement of people.

 

Instead, we need to start to see Erie County as a community economically and geographically positioned for future growth and prosperity.

 

Erie County is part of a mega-region stretching from Toronto, through Buffalo and Rochester, over to Ottawa and on to Montreal.

 

This area is home to over 22 million people and more than $530 billion in economic output....making Erie County a center point in the fifth largest 'mega-region' in North America and the 12th largest economy in the world.

 

We will capitalize on our geography to seize new opportunities such as: advanced manufacturing; alternative energy; and education and technology development, just to name a few.

 

Part of our regional focus will be to make Erie County the intermodal logistical hub of the fifth largest economic region on the continent.

 

Erie County will lead the effort to develop the capacity and infrastructure for a rail intermodal terminal at the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna and other logistics facilities around our community.

 

Our region is globally positioned on import and export routes to the north, south, east, and west and can accommodate multiple modes of transportation including rail, air, marine and highways.

 

Erie County's geographic location is what helped put this community on the map at the start of the last century.

 

And, I am convinced it will put us on the world stage again at the beginning of this century.

 

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Second, we must focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and small business.

 

As our community transitions into an economy built on innovation, rather than industry, small businesses are becoming more important than ever.

 

To encourage growth in this sector, we will boost our efforts at the ECIDA to support our homegrown small businesses.

 

Those efforts include making the ECIDA the first call for any business in Erie County seeking assistance, continuing to refine and expand our business development program, and developing the export potential of our small businesses.

 

But we also know that in order to rebuild Buffalo and our first ring suburbs, the ECIDA must look beyond what is traditionally defined as business.

 

Back in December, the ECIDA board of directors approved our new Adaptive Reuse Policy ...an innovative policy that will now provide tax incentives to developers committed to renovating and transforming old, vacant buildings for commercial and residential use.

 

Functionally obsolete buildings are a drain on the overall economic vitality of Erie County.

 

The extraordinary redevelopment costs associated with these properties present a significant challenge to private investment.

 

The Adaptive Reuse incentives can save developers as much as 20% on construction costs.

 

Several local projects involving functionally obsolete buildings will benefit from our Adaptive Reuse Strategy.

 

This kind of partnership, where businesses see potential, and government agencies respond swiftly with a solution, symbolize our best hope for the complete rebirth of downtown.

 

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Third, we must take advantage of our waterfront and greenway.

 

It is time to celebrate, support and invest in our green and blue infrastructure.

 

Our green infrastructure is our trails and world-class parks, like the Olmsted Parks System.

 

Our blue infrastructure is our rivers and Great Lake waterfront.

 

Erie County's priorities will be to restore, enhance and protect our regional watershed...to provide unique recreational opportunities associated with our waterfront...and to develop innovative mixed-use residential, business and recreational areas along the waterfront.

 

Erie County continues to be a major partner in the implementation of the Inner Harbor Canal Side plan.

 

We remain the only local government to invest public dollars in this critical project.

 

Erie County paid $7 million dollars for the remediation of the old Memorial Auditorium...making way for its safe demolition.

 

Greenways are corridors of land recognized for their ability to connect people and places together.

 

Our community's Greenway Plan is a guiding document that supports projects that improve access to our waterfronts and connections to the Niagara River while protecting, preserving and reclaiming ecological resources critical to our high quality of life now and for future generations.

 

When achieved, the Greenway Plan will provide both great recreational access and needed economic revitalization.

 

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Fourth, we will promote our community's arts, culture and heritage.

 

Scholars, newspapers and trade publications have already identified our community as a world-class destination.

 

Our community's arts and cultural groups are vital to the economy of Western New York.

 

In addition to serving as quality of life and educational amenities, these groups employ thousands of local residents, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact, attract millions of visitors, and contribute to the tax base of the region.

 

We must promote our region's unique history, cultural heritage and artistic assets.

 

Today, I am announcing the creation of a commission to identify a plan of action to properly showcase our rare books collection.

 

Perhaps one of our best kept secrets, just down the street at the central Library lays one of the largest and most historically impressive collections of rare books in the world.

 

This collection contains one of a kind works such as Mark Twain's original manuscript of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

 

We have Thomas Jefferson's hand-written notes on his personal copy of the Federalist Papers.

 

We have a copy of the Map that Changed the World, and pages from the Guttenberg Bible.

 

These treasures have attracted interest from around the world.

 

I believe they mark the beginning of an exciting new plan to potentially fund our libraries and our culturals for the long-term.

 

My commission will be comprised of representatives from the public and private sector who understand the importance and the opportunity this unique collection offers.

 

Their task will be to identify a series of recommendations to properly showcase and promote this collection, as well as identify new ways to leverage their value for the benefit of Erie County taxpayers.

 

Once again, we have been blessed with a cultural treasure and we will fully maximize its potential.

 

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Fifth, we will make our community a tourist destination.

 

Feeding off our efforts to use our community's cultural and natural resources as an economic resource, Erie County will focus on promoting Western New York as a destination for tourists on a regional, national and global basis.

 

Tourism is a primary growth industry in Erie County and has been a consistent driver of tax revenue.

 

Under our direction, the Convention and Visitors Bureau recently completed a five year strategic plan which provides the road map to build our tourism infrastructure, focus on promotion, and generate meeting and convention marketing.

 

Working directly with the CVB, Erie County will develop and implement marketing strategies to promote arts, culture and history to external customers.

 

We will develop and implement marketing strategies for increased sales to attract more conventions, amateur sports and leisure travel.

 

We will determine the best and most effective sites in the region for visitor center operations to maximize a tourist's length of stay.

 

And, finally, Erie County, in partnership with the CVB, will take the lead to use the upcoming 2011 annual meeting of the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a major opportunity to showcase our cultural heritage, world-class architecture and historic Olmsted Parks.

 

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Sixth, we must promote our region's agriculture industry.

 

The market value of all agriculture products sold from farms located in Erie County exceeds $100 million.

 

In addition to direct revenues, local farms also support many local businesses, including hardware and equipment dealers, feed stores, trucking companies, veterinarians and other service providers.

 

As a result, the local economic impact of agriculture also extends to secondary industries like food processors which rely upon local farms.

 

Food processing represents more than 6,000 jobs in our region.

 

To protect this industry, Erie County is preparing the Erie County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan in 2009 with possible funding assistance from New York State.

 

We will coordinate with the Southtowns Community Enhancement Coalition to expand and develop new agribusiness opportunities focusing on farm based tourism.

 

And finally, Erie County will work with the ECIDA in developing new financial incentive programs targeted to the County's agricultural industry.

 

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Seventh, we must use our higher education institutions as a gateway to economic opportunity.

 

Our community boasts one of the best higher-education infrastructures in the nation, attracting over 100,000 college students each year.

 

Enhanced support for higher education and better integration into our community is an investment we must make for our future.

 

Moreover, creating educational opportunity attracts new people into our community and supports the needed retraining for our region's unemployed and underemployed adults.

 

The UB 2020 initiative will provide the greatest higher education impact in our region.

 

As the flagship university in the SUNY system and the largest public university in New York State, UB lies at the heart of a rich and diverse educational community in Erie County.

 

UB 2020 is the University's vision to expand its enrollment by some 10,000 students, which together with its potential to attract top-flight faculty and researchers will serve to help drive the economic future of the Buffalo Niagara region.

 

UB 2020 will double the University's already significant economic impact on our region

 

Part of UB's vision is already taking shape.

 

You are sitting in the former manufacturing facility of Buffalo's own M. Wile clothing company.

 

UB now owns this facility which is part of the downtown expansion of the University and it's interconnection with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

 

This building, once a symbol of our past, is now a symbol of our future.

 

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Eighth, we will become the Back Office Capital of America.

 

The back office support business sector is one of the most diverse and growing business segments in our region.

 

Local companies continue to grow as more national and international firms locate their back office operations in our region.

 

And Erie County offers a unique set of assets that drive growth in this business sector.

 

These include: a productive workforce, low cost of construction, being a top ten 'wired' community in the US, low cost local and national transportation, short commuting times, along with our highly acclaimed quality of life for families and the fourth most stable housing market in the United States.

 

And, we will work with Erie Community College and the Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board to provide the necessary training to meet the growing employment demands of this segment.

 

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Ninth, we will advance high and low tech manufacturing.

 

Manufacturing has been a staple of our local economy for over 100 years.

 

And while many of our large manufacturers have closed, a strong industry of suppliers remains in our region.

 

Having these support companies within Erie County also allows primary manufacturers to shorten their supply chain and control schedules.

 

Erie County has numerous technical schools at the high school and community college level that help prepare individuals for the world of manufacturing.

 

Additional support for manufacturing comes in the form of shovel ready industrial sites and the low cost of construction within Erie County.

 

Erie County also supports manufacturing by being a strategic transportation hub.

 

The area boasts of being on the doorstep to Canada and being within one days trucking of major northeast cities.

 

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Tenth, we must position our area as a medical powerhouse.

 

The medical services sector of our regional economy is already healthy.

 

Now we need to support world-class clinical care, research, and education.

 

By doing so, we will create a healthier community and attract increased investment in medical and educational institutions.

 

The cornerstone of this effort is the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which Erie County will continue to aggressively support through our efforts at the ECIDA.

 

This also includes support for the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

 

Kaleida Health, ECMC, Catholic Health Systems, the VA Hospital and Roswell Park Cancer Institute are critical components in this sector and we will champion their important work.

 

Finally, Erie County will support ongoing efforts to build a world-class global vascular institute in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

 

By consolidating Western New York's cardiovascular research and treatment under one, new, state-of-the-art facility, our community will be able to retain and recruit world renowned physicians and provide top-notch health care.

 

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While the Road to a Bright future includes some projects that are overseen by entities outside county government, and are underway, it is important that we have one vision for our community.

 

Finally, we must -once and for all - reject the image of Buffalo as a rust belt region hemorrhaging jobs and people.

 

Instead, we must rebuild our brand to reflect our key strengths and the reasons why we are all proud to call this community home.

 

Rebranding Erie County is what the Road to a Bright Future plan is all about.

 

The Road to a Bright Future will not be a static endeavor.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing and our plan will change to meet those challenges.

 

As you just heard, many of our agenda items are related and interconnected.

 

You also heard about the myriad of governments, agencies and organizations working to promote our region.

 

Unfortunately, these groups sometime work at cross purposes and sometime duplicate each others efforts.

 

That is why, today, I am announcing the creation of the County Executive's Advisory Council on Economic Development.

 

Under our leadership, this council will convene quarterly round table meetings of key leaders, like the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the CVB, and the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, as well as all of our partners in economic development.

 

But most importantly, we will bring in private sector leadership to pursue new ideas.

 

Like our quarterly town supervisors meetings, this Council will work together to collaborate on our shared goals and projects to move this region forward and drive Erie County's economic development agenda.

 

This group will work to eliminate duplication among our economic development agencies and share ideas, concerns and most importantly, solutions.

 

Our talent is tremendous and our resources are unmatched.

 

By coordinating our efforts, eliminating inefficiencies and working together, there is no limit to our success.

 

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The Road to a Bright Future is predicated on the basis that Erie County will quarterback this effort...working with all groups, with our community's best intentions at heart, to finally have one overall consistent effort to make our region the economic powerhouse it's destined to become.

 

What we need now is teamwork.

 

Because, we will not rebuild our economy through partisan politics.

 

We will not rebuild our economy through turf wars.

 

We will not rebuild our economy through the stale city versus suburbs debate.

 

What we need now is a shared vision.

 

What we need now is a shared voice.

 

What we need now is a shared purpose.

 

To realize the importance of this task, we need look no further than this room.

 

With us today are nearly 100 high school students from the Buffalo, Ken-Ton and Lancaster school districts.

 

These young people have been educated in our strong school systems and raised with solid Western New York values.

 

They have dreams and aspirations...their future is limitless.

 

But sadly, Erie County's young people have become our largest export.

 

Just imagine the impact on our county if our young people achieve their dreams, reach their goals and realize their full potential right here in Erie County.

 

So work with me.

 

Commit yourself to our agenda.

 

Let yourself believe that Erie County's best days are truly ahead of us.

 

Because together we can, and we will, travel the Road to a Bright Future.