Kevin Hardwick’s Plan To Really Reform the Erie County Legislature

Proposal One – Pay Cut. I propose that we cut the salary of our part-time county legislators from $42,588 to $30,000. We pay our county legislators more than 39 states pay their state legislators. Do you know that the base pay for South Carolina’s state legislators is $10,400, about one-quarter of what our county legislators receive? In North Carolina, state legislators get by on a salary of $13,951. If part-time legislators can run the states of North and South Carolina, why must we pay our legislators $42,588 to run a single county? Is it any wonder our taxes are so much higher here? Does it surprise anyone that our children are flocking to the Carolinas?

Promise One – I will give $7,500 per year of my salary (a total of $15,000 over the two-year term of office) to community groups on Grand Island and the Tonawandas. Realizing that it will take time to convince other legislators to cut their own pay, I will cap my own pay and donate $7,500 per year for each of the 2 years to community organizations such as senior groups, youth groups, volunteer fire departments and auxiliary police organizations.

Proposal Two – Downsize the Legislature. Although I would prefer to cut the size of the legislature from its current 15 members to 9, I could live with the cut to 11 members recently recommended by the 21st Century Commission.

Proposal Three – Term Limits. I want to limit County Legislators to five consecutive two-year terms. I could also support three four-year terms if terms are lengthened.

Proposal Four – Recall. We need to have the ability to fire our legislators, as well as the county executive and comptroller, before their terms of office are up. Adding a recall provision to the county’s charter would provide such an option.

Proposal Five – Encourage Bipartisanship. I propose that the positions of Majority and Minority Leaders be eliminated. Rather than encouraging our legislators to divide into two camps to play the Democrat vs. Republican game, we must demand that they band together for the sake of the entire community. As an added benefit, this would save the county the cost of their stipends ($5,000 each).

Proposal Six – Evening Meetings. Citizens should be encouraged to participate in government and run for office. The current practice of holding legislative meetings during “working hours” means that many citizens with real full-time jobs cannot attend. Moreover, this limits the pool of people able to run for county legislator as many people would be unwilling to give up their day jobs and seniority for a position with a two-year term. Evening meetings will help alleviate these problems and democracy will be better served.

Together, we can take these steps to change “politics as usual.”

- Kevin R. Hardwick
Candidate for 10th District
Erie County Legislator
(716) 693-0486