BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz delivered his State of the County address Wednesday night at ECC's North Campus.
The county leader touted dropping unemployment rates in the last year, with the county now boasting 4,300 more jobs in March of this year compared to March of 2024.
He said this comes even after the county suffered a major blow when the Sumitomo Rubber Plant closedlast year.
Poloncarz said the county is focused on finding a permanent use for the now-empty plant that will help bring in more money to the economy.
He also said the county improved efforts to make sure everyone is safe. Since the launch of the Erie County Ambulance Service, emergency response times have decreased, with the service responding to more than 2,000 calls for rural Erie County neighbors since September of 2023.
Poloncarz said the Town of Tonawanda will be launching its own ambulance service later this year, and the county will still offer emergency support.
He said the county is focused on offering neighbors more housing options, with more than 800 new affordable units being built on top of already ongoing projects.
A $2 million investment will go to the Botanical Gardens to help it become new again, plus the launch of the "Envision Erie Survey," an online or mail-in survey allowing you to voice concerns directly to elected officials.
