[exciting patriotic music] It's an honor to stand before you as your County Executive to reflect on the work we've done, the challenges we've faced, and the opportunities that lie ahead for Erie County.

Over the past three years, we've made significant strides towards building a stronger, more resilient community.

While the road hasn't always been easy, the progress we've made is proof of what can be accomplished when we work together.

We've accomplished many milestones such as the most recent disaster events of 2024, from early season floods to 38 wildfires in November, followed directly by the historic Snowmageddon snow disaster a week later where Erie County, under my administration, led emergency management, public safety, veterans affairs, and our economic development departments to stand up Erie County's Emergency Command Center, which directed by county, state, and local contractors in an unprecedented approach to disaster management at the local level.

Erie County acquired over 110 additional pieces of heavy snow removal equipment from across all of Pennsylvania.

With these resources, we were able to add an additional 20,000 plus man hours above and beyond your normal PennDOT township and city operations, all of which were done leveraging Erie County casino gaming revenue resulting in no increased costs to local taxpayers.

In addition, we coordinated the response and rescued hundreds of residents and sheltered approximately 350 non-local travelers and answered thousands of 211 calls for assistance, resulting in over 215 wellness checks conducted by the Pennsylvania National Guard and hundreds more by local organizations and volunteers.

With the work of these individuals and all of us as a community, we turned a major disaster drawing national spotlight into merely a minor inconvenience, and in doing so, we didn't lose a single life, and for that, I'm truly grateful to all who did their part, and we thank you.

Another item would be Erie County Veterans Affairs Department has surpassed $1 million in monthly VA compensation claims payments, delivering historic results, benefiting Erie County veterans.

We also worked with our courts and judges to implement electronic monitoring programs to keep nonviolent offenders out of our jails, keeping families intact, and saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

The completion of all Erie County addresses for broadband access to provide a visual tool of internet access was also a project that benefited Erie County residents.

Erie County, throughout the collaboration with seven other counties, is working towards a regional project to maximize your buying power and keep your costs low to ensure that all residents have high-speed internet access.

We're negotiating with the federal government to house federal inmates in transition within our Erie County prison.

This contract alone nets Erie County taxpayers on average $100,000 per month to offset the cost of local incarceration, supporting our corrections officers over time, and other prison programming.

Another program is the Erie County Prison Community Works program to train nonviolent offenders in basic maintenance and construction trades through community cleanup initiatives.

This program enables incarcerated residents the opportunity to learn work skills and give back to the community projects like the restoration of Ainsworth Field this summer for the City of Erie School District.

In addition to, we've preserved over 10,000 acres of farmland across Erie County, ensuring the future of agriculture and food stability across our region.

We've also invested $1 million of American rescue plan funds, which were leveraged with the Erie County Conservations District commitment of 2.7 million to complete various agricultural assistance programs, programs like the Kelley Farm in Northeast Township for 149,000.

The Wasielewski Farm in McKean Township for 113,000, and the Leonard Baker Farm in the City of Corry for 125,000.

Projects coming up in 2025 include the Kent Farm in Concord Township with $100,000 commitment, and the Four Seasons Farm in Gerard Township for 250,000 to name a few.

When I started this journey as your County Executive, I knew it wouldn't be easy.

Challenging the status quo never is.

It means facing resistance, overcoming obstacles, and sometimes pushing through moments when progress feels out of reach, but I also knew that real change, change that makes a difference for hardworking people just like you is always worth the fight.

Every step we've taken, every challenge we've tackled has been about one thing, building a better future for the people of Erie County.

We've done this through supporting local communities and nonprofit organizations through a $4 million allocation in which Erie County government tasked the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority with administering your county ARPA funds to support a wide array of community centers, after school programs, Main Street revitalizations, and many other projects which focus on the quality of place and the golden corners of all of Erie County.

These projects, paired with investments to support local parks from Marcellus Shale impact funds in 2025 and other investments from Erie County, like the purchase of the American Legion ball fields in Union City for the borough that will continue to make Erie County a great place to live, work, and play.

You work hard every day, whatever you do, running businesses, teaching in our classrooms, working in healthcare, or swinging a hammer building our community, or keeping it safe, these community investments are something that we can all enjoy.

Each of you pay your taxes, you do your part, and you want what anyone would want, a common sense reasonable government, which sets the table for a fair chance to succeed for everyone, an opportunity to build a good life and to live in a community where your kids and your grandkids can thrive for generations.

You want a government that works just as hard for you as you do for your families.

That's what I've been focused on from the start, making sure this government is on your side, fighting for the issues that matter the most to Erie County families, focusing on being the catalyst for real and long-lasting change.

It isn't easy, but it's necessary.

It's about being an advocate for economic development, focusing on the bread and butter of local advanced manufacturing and the emerging innovation economies through the strategic investments which create family sustaining jobs.

Erie County has strategically invested $5 million of American Rescue Plan funds in Project RESOLVE at Penn State Behrend, focusing on heavy industrial battery research, development, and testing.

We've leveraged these funds to nearly 30 million with many partners to fully fund the project.

In addition to the 1.5 million with Gannon University to fund a water research lab and educational space in Blasco Library.

Each of these opportunities lays the foundation for future investments, like the $25 million advanced manufacturing investment we've seen here in Kyocera in Knowledge Park, which opens for production this year.

It is the combination of strategic investments in our workforce, shovel-ready sites, historic infrastructure investments in an efficient, proactive government, building a pro-business, pro-growth economy is what puts Erie County on the global map as a prime location for investment for the first time in several decades.

Investing in our workforce means ensuring we have quality housing and childcare.

This year, my administration has tasked Erie County planning with completing a county-wide housing study to examine the challenges which our communities face from blight, housing affordability, housing access, and other factors which deter upward economic mobility, health, and an overall quality of life.

We've also made a historic $3 million investment in childcare.

My administration has tasked the City of Erie and Corry redevelopment authorities with addressing the needs of in-home childcare providers with $500,000 of funding available to elevate licensed in-home childcare providers who own their own homes, increasing the safety health access, and increasing options for childcare across our county in the areas which do not typically have childcare readily available.

Two and a half million dollars of this childcare investment has been allocated to the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, which has been tasked with identifying the gaps within the local childcare industry with the main purpose of elevating the quality of care, building conditions, and expanding the availability of childcare to the residents of Erie County.

This investment is made with the sincere hope that the ECGA Board recognizes the value in investing in our kids, and matches Erie County's $2.5 million investment for a total of $5 million, leveraging your County Gaming Revenue funds alongside of County ARPA dollars to drive impactful changes for hardworking families.

One of the key pillars of our economic development efforts has been business attraction.

We've been working tirelessly behind the scenes and at events across the nation to create the right opportunities for growth right here in our county.

Through initiatives like SelectUSA, the world's largest foreign direct investment summit hosted by the US Department of Commerce in Washington DC.

These summits are great opportunities to cultivate relationships with existing businesses from around the world that are looking to expand and grow, ensuring that our region is at the forefront of their decisions and showcases our community as a prime location for their next investment.

These investments are critical to growing our economy, expanding our tax base, along with the employment opportunities, which are driving factors for keeping our kids and our grandkids in a community and keeping our taxes low.

We've accomplished this by investing millions of American Rescue Plan funds through our Economic Development Municipal Gap fund.

This fund has leveraged several million dollars into tens of millions of dollars of return on investment.

These costs would normally fall directly on the back of local taxpayers when townships complete storm water, sewer, and water projects.

This program is effectively the greatest countywide infrastructure investment in the largest form of a countywide tax cut in history.

Projects ensuring our residents have safe drinking water, like the $760,000 invested in Albion Borough's water system supporting Albion and the West County Township surrounding.

The $250,000 invested in Girard Borough, replacing an over 100-year-old water storage tower, or the $250,000 in Lake City replacing water lines.

It's storm water projects that are ensuring our neighborhoods and homes are safe from flooding, such as the Storm Sewer Improvement Project in Union City, leveraging $69,000 to a nearly half a million dollar return on investment, or the quarter million dollar investment in the city of Corry.

It's sewer projects like the $250,000 invested in McKean, Northeast, Wesleyville, Washington, and Edinboro Borough for $250,000 each.

These projects only brush the surface for the millions of dollars invested in completing and the ongoing infrastructure investments which have impacted all 38 municipalities across Erie County.

We will no longer kick infrastructure projects down the road and prepare for tomorrow today.

But economic growth doesn't happen in a vacuum, it takes planning, dedication, and hard work.

The results of these efforts will be earned through patient capital, consistent effort, and a lasting commitment to expanding our economic output.

Over the last three years, we've made many large investments to build a strong diversified economy, and the results are starting to show, more businesses are now looking to our community and more families are experiencing the benefits of a vibrant, sustainable, local economy.

Perhaps the most significant achievement currently underway is at the Erie County Redevelopment Authority where we've created Erie County's newest business park the first in 25 years.

For the first time in a generation, we now have a large site, a marketable location.

These critical investments and marketing efforts have unlocked the door to new opportunities, and the momentum we've created is undeniable.

We've made historic progress, but there's still a lot more work to do.

The road ahead won't always be easy, it won't come without disagreements, but I promise you this, I will keep fighting to challenge the status quo, to push for real change, and to make Erie County a place where everyone has the chance to succeed.

This vision is what has guided us over the past three years where economic development has been a cornerstone of my administration's work.

It requires boots-on-the-ground attention to build the in-person relationships to succeed in new investment.

This is a long and patient process and we have seen unprecedented progress to lay the foundation for significant investment opportunities right here in your community.

However, while we're making strides in economic development, we must also face some pressing challenges head on.

Erie County's facing a real crisis.

In December of 2021, prior to my swearing in, I very quickly learned the dire circumstances facing our emergency medical services system, which has significant issues which have gone unaddressed for decades.

This very quickly became my priority as lives depend upon it.

We began collecting data in January of 2022 to analyze real problems to make data-driven solutions.

In year one, Erie County recorded 1,267 drop calls for 911 service, ultimately delaying the response time to residents experiencing an emergency.

Some wait for services for 30 minutes plus on some occasions.

We utilize the data to log service providers in and out of service, which enabled us to dispatch the closest appropriate service, saving countless minutes during times of critical need.

It's my goal to work until an ambulance is readily available 100% of the time when the life of you or someone you love depends upon it.

This isn't just a failure of a system, it's a failure to provide the most basic promise to our residents, the promise of help when you need it the most.

We all know that emergencies can happen at any time, whether it's a car accident, a heart attack, or a child in distress, every single second counts.

The difference between help arriving in time and arriving too late is often the difference of life and death.

No one should ever have to worry about whether an ambulance will show up when they call, but right now, for Erie County residents, this is our reality.

This isn't just a logistical problem, it's a community-wide emergency.

It affects every single one of us.

It affects our families who have felt abandoned in their moment of their greatest need.

It affects our first responders who are stretched thin and burning out because they simply don't have the support and the resources to meet the demand.

Many of these folks sacrifice their time away from their families every day to train, fundraise, and to respond.

This is not sustainable, and most importantly, it's unacceptable.

Despite a million and a half dollar investment in EMS over the last two years, we're seeing a steady decline in EMS personnel at the rate of 10% each year.

This has drastic effects upon service providers being able to man ambulances to fill the shifts.

Less workers means less ambulances available when you or your loved ones call during your greatest time of need.

This crisis very quickly has become my top priority, and over the last three years, we're taking action.

First, we've committed to strengthening and growing our EMS workforce through the Erie County EMS scholarships, which pay 100% of the tuition for EMTs and paramedics seeking to serve in the volunteer services across Erie County.

To date, my administration has aided nearly 100 residents to become qualified and take employment at local EMS service providers.

Second, we are working to invest in more ambulances and better equipment to ensure that help is available in every part of Erie County no matter where you live.

Whether you're in the heart of the city or out in a rural area, you should be able to count on emergency services reaching you quickly.

One example of success is Erie County's Economic Development Department leveraging funds to pay for grant writers.

One EMS success story includes a grant which cost Erie County taxpayers $750, which resulted in the award of a quarter million dollar ambulance to West County paramedics.

We continue to seek other opportunities to leverage funding through the pursuit of external grant dollars every single day.

And third, we're focused on how we can build a more efficient, better coordinated system.

This includes using technology and resources more intelligently, reducing response times, and making sure every call for help is answered as quickly as possible.

Through data-driven solutions, under my leadership, we've reduced 911 dropped call rates from 18% to well under 3% on average, significantly reducing response times.

We're making strategic investments which support a regionalized approach to EMS.

The outcome of any resident experiencing a medical emergency should never be determined by the zip code in which you live.

With my administration's $2.5 million investment in EMS this year alone, we are applying your gaming revenue funds as intended, to support EMS services, which save lives and offset your costs and taxes.

My administration has met many challenges which we have taken head on.

The last topic, which I want to talk about is the 1,250 chronic homeless residents, many who have previously had little choice other than endure the elements, even on frigid days like today, some of whom have ultimately lost their lives waiting on a solution that never came.

Last year, I convened a countywide coalition, bringing together hundreds of service providers and volunteers to collectively address this problem with real-world solutions.

I'm proud to say in November of 2024, we opened the Erie County Community Resilience Center in which we turned a former prison work release building into a place of respite and hope for our most vulnerable citizens, which now shelters and offers wraparound services to 50 residents on average per night, utilizing a vacant building.

In the coming weeks, we'll break ground on the Tiny Homes Village, which will sit adjacent to the Resilience Center, aiming to provide a campus for unhoused residents to transition into long-term and sustainable living.

This effort also revitalizes and reimagines a blighted neighborhood which was grossly disinvested and underutilized in the heart of the city of Erie.

Our countywide plan aims to complete similar projects on a much smaller scale across Erie County to address the needs of our unhoused residents as they are, where they are, and without removing them from the neighborhoods and the support systems to which they're accustomed.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to ending homelessness, but this is a major step in the right direction.

We understand the scale of the problem, which is why we've committed over two million additional dollars to solving Erie County homelessness.

This investment reflects our unwavering commitment to providing sustainable solutions for those who need them the most, and it demonstrates our belief that every resident of Erie County deserves a chance at a safe, stable life.

Through these initiatives, we're not just addressing the immediate needs of our homeless population, but also working to break the cycle of homelessness in Erie County for good.

Our goal is clear and it's unwavering.

Not a single person in Erie County should ever be forced to sleep outside ever again.

We believe that everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home, and we're committed to making that vision a reality for every single person in our community.

These efforts are a part of a larger goal to provide training opportunities to trade programs, giving students real-world experience, working in construction on a small, simplistic scale led by local contractors who can provide guidance and employment opportunities following graduation.

This not only provides training value, but enables Erie County to stretch these funds for greater impact and pairing them with volunteer labor and private donations.

The final aspect of the Pathway Home Project is to pair our tiny homes residents with church and social organizations that bridges the necessary social capital to connect these folks with a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

In 2025, we need to begin looking at relieving the burdens of property taxes on hardworking families and our senior citizens.

There have been a host of alternatives at various levels of government over the years that have been considered but not thoroughly vetted.

I'm setting my sights on taking a hard look at the possibilities of property tax reform that benefits the homeowners of Erie County.

As it stands now, after you pay off your mortgage, your home will never truly be yours, and that in itself is a travesty.

We must create opportunities for people to thrive, and this means looking at how our tax policies can better support growth and fairness.

As we move forward in building a stronger Erie County, it is important that we examine every part of our tax system to make sure it helps businesses grow, our families succeed, our communities prosper, and our senior citizens stay in their home that they bought and they paid for.

That's why we're committed to exploring meaningful property tax reforms that not only alleviate the strain on our residents, but also make sure that our tax structure supports economic growth and encourages investment in our county.

We need a system that is fair, transparent, and responsive to the needs of everyone, from long-time homeowners, to new businesses looking to set up shop here, whether it's through adjusting tax rates, offering targeted relief to vulnerable populations, or incentivizing development in underutilized areas, we are dedicated to examining all possible avenues to create a tax structure that works for everyone.

Moreover, we're committed to ensuring that property tax reform isn't just about reducing burdens, but also about spurring growth and revitalizing our neighborhoods.

By making intelligent adjustments, we can encourage investment in underdeveloped areas, help revitalize commercial districts, and ensure that businesses have the tools they need to grow and create jobs.

Our goal is to create a tax system that strikes the right balance between providing fair relief to residents and ensuring we have the resources necessary to invest in the future of Erie County.

Through thoughtful reform, we'll build a stronger community that encourages innovation, support sustainable growth, and helps all of us succeed.

Investing in education and workforce development has been one of the main focus of my administration, and it's something I'm deeply passionate about.

We know that one of the most important factors in building a strong and prosperous community is ensuring residents have the access to the skills and the training they need to succeed in the workforce.

That's why we've made significant strides in supporting the Erie County Community College, particularly through the Allied Health Services Initiative that will make a real difference in the lives of many of our residents.

The college is preparing to start construction on the new allied health and nursing labs, which will play a crucial role in addressing the growing demand for skilled healthcare workers in our region.

These state-of-the-art facilities will provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience, equipping them with the skills they need to step into essential roles in our hospitals, clinics, and emergency services.

In a time when healthcare industry is facing critical shortages, this investment is not just timely, it's desperately needed.

This project started as a vision, a vision for how we could meet one of the most pressing challenges facing Erie County.

As County Executive, I knew I couldn't accomplish this alone.

That's why I brought together the three competing health systems in our region.

We sat down at a table and we forged a single partnership to make this vision a working reality.

Funding this ambitious project required a team effort.

County government led the way with a $2 million investment, along with $2 million in redevelopment assistance capital program funding secured by the community college, the three health systems contributed over $1 million in equipment for the lab, as well as 2.3 million in tuition and teaching reimbursement to ensure students can access affordable education.

The college itself committed another 171,000 in capital funds to bring this vision to life.

This partnership between government, education, and healthcare shows what we can achieve when we work together for the good of our community.

This mutual investment brought three competitors to the table to collectively train their workforce, saving money.

With those funds saved, we're able to expand programs, cover the cost of tuition in full, and pay a wage enabling adult students to earn and learn.

These new labs aren't just about offering more training programs, they're about creating a direct pipeline of qualified healthcare professionals who will stay right here in Erie County, providing vital services to our community.

Whether it's a nurse at a local hospital, a digital medical stenographer, or a certified nursing assistant, these roles are essential to the health and wellbeing for all of us.

By investing in education and training and by uniting key players in our community to make this happen, we are making sure that Erie County is prepared to meet those needs head on.

This is more than just meeting the immediate need for healthcare workers, it's about building a workforce that will continue to support our community for generations to come.

By creating these opportunities for education and growth, we're helping to build a future where Erie County has the skilled trained workforce it needs to thrive in the years ahead.

It's also a recognition of the deep connection between education, economic development, and community health.

When we invest in programs like this, we are not only helping individuals get good jobs, we're strengthening the healthcare infrastructure that we all depend upon.

This initiative is an investment in our collective future, and I'm incredibly proud to support it as your County Executive.

Together, with bold vision, collaborative leadership, and shared resources, we're building the foundation for a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Erie County.

But looking ahead, there's still a lot more to do.

We need to keep up building upon the economy that gives everyone a chance to succeed, one that helps local businesses grow, attracts new companies, and creates good jobs for the people who live here.

We must also keep making public safety a priority, making sure our emergency services have the support they need to keep our communities safe, and we can't forget about the burden that property taxes put on hardworking families and our senior citizens.

We need to find ways to ease that burden while still keeping our county running smoothly.

These are the tough challenges, but I know we'll find the solutions.

It won't always be easy, and there'll be many tough decisions to make, but if we stay focused on the needs of our residents and keep putting the people of Erie County first, I believe we'll continue to tackle the challenges head on.

We'll continue to rely upon creativity, collaboration, and a willingness to think outside the box to get it done.

We may not always agree on everything, but we all want the same things, a better future for all of Erie County.

We all want a place where our children can grow up with opportunity, where families feel safe, where hardworking people have a fair shot at success.

If we keep focusing on what unites us, we can achieve these shared goals.

As we move forward, we'll continue to face challenges, but we'll also continue to make progress.

I'm fully committed to the work ahead, and I know that with your support, we'll keep building a stronger, better Erie County for everyone.

Together, we can create a future where opportunity, safety, and fairness are not just hopes, but they're realities for all of us.

Those who choose to focus on the political wrangling, they may do so, but I choose to focus on a brighter future.

Make no mistake, I've proven I will not shy away from the fights worth fighting, but I also won't let it bog me down or define who I am as your County Executive and as your leader.

I'm never gonna stop fighting for you, and as always, let's get to work.

[exciting patriotic music]