The Erie County Legislature approved the amended 2026 county budget Thursday morning by a vote of 7 to 4.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s $2.1 billion budget proposal features a property tax decrease, from $3.29 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value to $3.09.
The budget includes more than $800,000 for new snowplows and $2.7 million for infrastructure projects around the city. The budget also includes $9.2 million for Buffalo Police and Fire, $7.4 million for the Dept. of Public Works- Division of Buildings, $8.2 million for Dept. of Public Works – Division of Engineering, $3.4 million for Dept. of Public Works – Division of Streets, $600,000 for Parking Enforcement, $62,900 for Dept of Management Information Systems and $3.7 million for Cultural and Education investments.
(Spectrum News 1 / Kenny Mitchell)
The major amendment made to Poloncarz’s budget was the axing of a $20 million appropriation to start design and engineering work for a new county jail.
The proposal was for a new $430 million jail and holding center in Alden. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia says $54 million in immediate upgrades and repairs are now needed at facilities across the county.
Members of the Legislature say property taxes would have likely gone up if they approved the $20 million to be spent on that process.
(Spectrum News 1 / Kenny Mitchell)