Synopsis:

Erie County’s Executive Chris Collins gave the “State of the County” on Thursday, March 11, 2010. In his statement, Collins outlined the struggles facing the economy and municipalities of the United States. Erie County stands out however as the county will end its 2009 budget year with a $44 million surplus. He attributed this success to the “hard work and dedication of our roughly 5,000 county employees, including my 25 commissioners and directors, who focus on best practices and the efficient delivery of services to county taxpayers.”

Among the many achievements the county has achieved over the year, Collins called out the adoption of the Adaptive Reuse Policy by the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA). He noted that this policy is helping to transform Buffalo by providing tax incentives to developers willing to reuse old building stock for commercial and residential use. The policy has brought about nearly $40 million of private investment.