New county executive takes his oath in Buffalo, emphasizing government’s role in social services
By Robert McCarthy
From the tone of his speech, to the new faces surrounding him, even to the decorations adorning his office — it was clear Sunday that County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz plans a whole new way of governing in Erie County.
The eighth Erie County executive — only the second Democratic executive in history — took the oath of office before a packed audience in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and immediately translated his campaign rhetoric into an action plan vastly departing from the approach of his Republican predecessor.
“Government is not a business, and it should not be run like one,” the former county comptroller declared, to the most enthusiastic applause of the morning.
“A business is concerned with maximizing profits to benefit a select few — its owners or shareholders,” he added. “However, a government is concerned with the welfare of those it represents, all of its citizens, not just taxpayers.”
Poloncarz, 44, seemed intent from the outset Sunday on establishing a new aura around Erie County government after making Republican Chris Collins a one-term county executive Nov. 8.
He returned his inaugural ceremony to the City of Buffalo, promised cooperation with Mayor Byron W. Brown, proclaimed his pride in the support of organized labor and even opened his office on the 16th floor of the Rath County Office Building to hundreds of supporters and well-wishers.
After county Social Services employee Hector Pagan made his first visit to the county executive’s office and shook his new boss’ hand, he said, Poloncarz told him he was in “your county office building.”
“I told him, ‘Thank you for returning it to us — the people,'” Pagan said.
Indeed, Poloncarz had told the Convention Center crowd just minutes before that Erie County government is “back in the hands of those who own it.” And while he only mentioned the “former county executive” in one technical reference, he could not be more clear in contrasting his approach to that of Collins.
He reiterated that county government should provide a safety net for the helpless and “maintain common amenities” such as parks and libraries — all the subject of controversial approaches by his predecessor.
“The business’ bottom line always comes first, and there is little social regard for the people involved,” he said. “With a government, the people come first, and elected officials are just stewards of the public’s assets.”
“Lately, county government has been acting too much like a business and abandoning its true owners — the people — when they need it most,” he added.
But while the new county executive continued to blister the Collins philosophy in his inaugural speech, he also promised bipartisan cooperation. He said he will this week announce several executive orders to implement his past recommendations as comptroller aiming for additional savings and efficiencies.
“We’re going to do this by working together, finding common ground, listening and respecting one another in our daily duties,” he said in an oblique reference to his constant battles with Collins. “That’s what the public demands, and that is what we will provide them.”
That all sounded good to the leader of the GOP opposition, Legislature Minority Leader John J. Mills of Orchard Park.
“I liked the quotes on cooperation; he stressed that a lot,” Mills said, adding more approval for Poloncarz’s emphasis on maintaining roads and county facilities such as parks.
But Mills would not go so far as to repudiate the Collins model of running government like a business.
“You can run government like a business — in moderation,” he said.
Another Republican, State Sen. Mark J. Grisanti of Buffalo, said the speech resonated with a sense of “putting people first, not politics.”
“That’s the attitude you’ve got to take,” he said.
Poloncarz also emphasized the key position of the City of Buffalo, which opponents have accused Collins of ignoring. He reached out to Brown, who often cooperated with Collins and offered only lukewarm support to Poloncarz during the campaign.
“A thriving city will directly lead to thriving suburbs and rural communities,” Poloncarz said. “We need to work together … and I look forward to that.”
Brown liked what he heard.
“We’re going to work together and work together well,” the mayor said. “The people of this community expect it.”
Other political leaders praised Poloncarz for his speech, including Reps. Brian Higgins of Buffalo and Kathleen C. Hochul of Amherst. Higgins called Poloncarz’s emphasis on the City of Buffalo “very, very important,” while Hochul said the speech “struck the perfect tone.”
“It was a powerful statement about the direction of Erie County, and he knows the only way to get there is to work together,” she said.
Poloncarz repeated campaign promises to make job creation a top priority, especially by strengthening business ties with nearby Ontario. And he brushed off criticism of being cozy with unions by lauding his “friends in organized labor.”
“I will never be ashamed of my blue-collar upbringing or the immense support I have received from the hardworking men and women who make up our community,” he said.
After his speech, hundreds of friends and supporters lined up to tour his executive suite — a first for the inauguration of a county executive. Visitors saw a sparkling 16th-floor office overlooking downtown and Lake Erie that aides said was painted over the weekend. Gone were Collins’ posters lauding his Six Sigma management program, replaced with historic photos and promotional posters of Buffalo.
Veterans of the last Democratic administration of former County Executive Dennis T. Gorski — such as political consultant Maurice L. Garner and Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan — made return appearances to once-again-friendly turf.
Other visitors included Nellie B. King, the retired superintendent of schools in Poloncarz’s native Lackawanna, who taught the county executive when he was in eighth grade.
“I saw then his ability to learn about debating and current events,” she said after posing for photos. “It made me proud to be Mark Poloncarz’s eighth-grade teacher.”
Poloncarz took the oath of office from State Supreme Court Justice Tracey A. Bannister, while his mother, Janice, held the Bible, and his father, Charles, watched.
Cindy Abbott-Letro, chairwoman of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra board and a member of the Poloncarz transition team, served as mistress of ceremonies.