Over at Outside Erie, the discussion is whether there is such a person who could be an ideal candidate to run for local office in Erie. I think that it would be hard to find someone who wouldn’t be simultaneously loved by one side and scorned by the other.
But beyond the politics, and after the election, what kind of leader do we need in Erie, for such a time as this? I’m pretty sure that this is a question that can’t be answered in one post, so let me get started and we’ll go from there.
I think that it’s important to begin with the position. Where does the real power lay for generic Erie, meaning the area that is recognized by those out-of-town as Erie, not just the municipal boundaries? By the way we need to make that distinction, because we may find that a Millcreek Township supervisor could have as much power and agenda-creating force as the city’s mayor, given the socioeconomic strength in that suburb.
Is the real power centered in Millcreek or Summit, or is it at City Hall, or the County Court House? 25 years ago, there would have been no contest: Erie Mayor Lou Tullio was the power broker personified. Of course, back then the county was quite new under the Home Rule Charter, and the suburban townships were full into their own business.
However in 2009 the significant decline of the city center has been accompanied by the decline in its power base. Retail has long moved its traffic to Millcreek and Summit, following the housing migration. You have a situation where thousands of people can live in generic “Erie,” work in “Erie,” and shop in “Erie,” while rarely traveling into the City of Erie.
I still think that it would be difficult for a township supervisor to lead a regional area-wide agenda. The commissioner’s chair is a slight bully pulpit. So that leaves the city’s mayor and council, and the county executive and council. As much as I’d like to see the mayor be the captain of Erie’s team, right now in my opinion it is only the county executive who holds the wherewithal (fiscal and powerbase) to lead the community’s agenda.
The county has to be the seat of good government, economic development, and facilitating networks toward the advancement of the region. The county exec should have something to say about everything that is part of life in our community, including law enforcement, education, water & sewer, and emergency response.
See how hard it is to define our leadership? It’s taken us 440 words just to figure out his or her position! Next time, we’ll start knocking down some of the traits we want to see in our community agenda-makers.
Please chime in on what you think!
March 30th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Macroleadership for the area WOULD require the County Executive, but even THAT position is not large enough to do the job.
Rick Schenker came in as an advocate of business development (as opposed to the Judy Lynch era emphasis on Children’s Services—(a coincidence that NOW we have so many problems with children in Erie County since that change?). But the rocks could not be moved from the fields at the County Exec level, and businesses continued to leave.
Shopping did not leave Erie due to urban flight. It was a function of free parking and easy accessibility to the stores. Erie needs to do away with the entire Parking Authority and all meters. When you have no Parking Authority or meters 10 miles away, the consumer choice to spend time in stores is obvious. Erie loses in the end.
Our County Executives were stable after Russ Robison. I am not an advocate for Judy Lynch and forever power (many of her policies were appalling to me personally). BUT, longer terms, two times, and out would be better.
There is no planning or zoning anywhere.
Now that we are gutted as if we turned the clock back 150 years around here, we can plan and model a true community. (Note: the Granada Fire is looking at the water meter system as poorly designed. How many more areas are poorly designed and negligibly zoned? Wolf Run costs a fortune to live across the street from a trailer park, and have jet fuel fumes dumped on your house, land, and kids daily. Who approved that?
Where is the attorney to step up pro bono and tell Millcreek that charging residents two hugely unequal prices for essential water is discriminatory, and likely as illegal as the assessments of 1969 not being updated until the judicial branch told the executive branch what “law” means…..DO IT!
Surprisingly, much of Erie County is rural and the future “Green” emphasis for business could have revival in our agriculture as the pesticides and poisonings of foreign foods continues to grow on our tables. Maybe we need to go back to that more.
The library closed all branches so we could have one big one at Blasco (poor name for the place too). Howls of protest came from Edinboro, and the outer regions as branches closed. Blasco truly became a success.
NOW, we are building branches in Fairview, Millcreek, etc once anew. Um, wasn’t the idea of Blasco to consolidate for efficiencies?
Next, we close the place down on Sundays, the most used day of the week at the place.
So which is it? Were branches needed all along? Would Blasco have failed without the closing of branches? We are servicing fewer people in our county than decades ago if the census is telling us anything. Branches are nice, but should not come at the expense of shorter hours at Blasco, a fine facility in a miserable location still. Poor planning. The Fairview branch is being built as hours on Sunday at Blasco are budgeted to be shut.
We need a planner CEO Board for all aspects of this county, preferably some new kids out of school with Public Administration and Architecture degrees instead of old coots endorsed by the ETN.
That is why I agree with County Executive-like position, but just as there is a Board of Directors overseeing a CEO, there must be a long term planning board that directs long term goals for the development of the county. A County Executive need not worry about a bridge with their name on it, as much as building on the planning commissions work and doing what they can in their time period to meet the planning dictates.
Erie will always be at a disadvantage due to the school system, parking crapola, and taxes.
Real estate taxes make it unwise to buy there.
When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I was astonished to see the large volume of commuters daily over the Columbia River from Vancouver, Washington. My sister told me that it is worthwhile for most because of….taxes. Same as here, but over two states, instead of tax variance of two municipalities.
I have always believed the Home Rule charter was a mistake. I think the Erie Times News was behind that, and when you discuss local power, they are it. They fashion who you will vote for judge, by what was printed yesterday in the paper.
The lament is the same people (Dems) are elected over and over here. I reject that lament. Indeed, the crybaby who says this is in effect, proclaiming the democratic system of elections is flawed for the voters keep choosing who they want….to their detriment.
Not true.
The voters are an uninformed electorate, and vote based on the misinformation given in the ETN…..a power of their own.