BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz on Wednesday lined up an ambitious agenda for the next year, but issued a warning that progress could be hindered by federal budget cuts.
The 2017 State of the County address, at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, was Poloncarz' 5th and carried live by Spectrum News.
In talking about the 2nd incarnation of his Smart Economy plan, Poloncarz said about half of the initiatives in the original economic development blueprint, introduced in 2013, are complete while the rest are near completion.
This second wave of initiatives includes lead-safe renovation job training for veterans, establishment of a new planning advisory board, and vocational training targeted for young women.
In his speech, Poloncarz says even more can be done to promote projects in small villages and communities, improve Main Streets and continue to provide transportation to senior citizens in rural areas, but he says that could be threatened thanks to the proposed elimination of community development block grants by the Trump Administration.
Poloncarz also called on federal leaders to protect the Great Lakes Restoration Program which allowed the county to clean up habitats
In rehashing the past year, Poloncarz talked about projects already in the works, including an Industrial Park at the former Bethlehem Steel site in his hometown of Lackawanna.