George Borrello

JAMESTOWN – The Republican candidate in this year’s Chautauqua County Executive race has received the support of the union representing Jamestown Police Department officers.

On Tuesday the George Borello Campaign announced that the Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association has endorsed Borrello (R, C, I -Irving) in the upcoming election for Chautauqua County Executive.

According to the media release, members of the union met on September 13 and “overwhelmingly passed” a motion endorsing Borrello in his election bid for County Executive.

“I am truly humbled to receive the endorsement of the men and women who work the front lines every hour of every day in the city of Jamestown ensuring safety and security for those they serve. During my tenure as a County Legislator I have always supported our first responders, and I am honored the Kendall Club PBA has recognized my efforts, Borrello said in a media release.

Borrello is an Irving area businessman who’s served on the Chautauqua County Legislature since 2010, representing the town of Hanover in the north county. He is also the chair of the county’s Regional Solutions Commission, which helped to create the county’s Shared Services Plan that is being considered for a $20 million state grant.

Part of the shared services plan includes a proposal to consolidate the JPD with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office by allowing vacant patrol positions in the JPD to be filled by sheriff’s deputies. Over a 20 year period, the JPD’s overall cost basis would be significantly reduced, at no additional cost to the county. Sources tell WRFA that members of the Kendall Club are against the proposal.

In July of 2017, as part of the state’s Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency Competition (MCEC), County Legislator and Regional Solutions Commission Chair George Borrello (pictured at left) presented an efficiency plan to the New York State Department of State (DOS). The efficiency plan includes a proposal to consolidate the JPD with the County Sheriff’s Office. (Image from Chautauqua County Shared Service Plan.

While Borrello has endorsed the full Shared Services Plan, he tells WRFA that he feels the JPD-Sheriff Consolidation proposal needs to be reviewed and further discussed.

“This agreement has languished for at least five years and does not appear to have the support of the rank and file members on either side, which is key,” Borrello told WRFA on Tuesday, following the endorsement announcement. “So I think some fresh thinking is needed on how best to address this concept.”

Borrello is running against Mike Ferguson (D-Fredonia) in the county executive race. Ferguson comes from a law enforcement family with his father serving as a Buffalo Police Officer. Ferguson has several ties to the Jamestown area, including being a former General Manger of the Northwest Ice Arena and of the past Jamestown Jammers professional baseball team.

The Kendall Club has not stated the reasons why it’s members selected Borrello over Ferguson in giving its endorsement.

The winner of this year’s County Executive race will succeed Vince Horrigan (R-Bemus Point), who announced his decision not to seek reelection earlier this year.

• RELATED: [LISTEN] Horrigan Lays Out County Shared Services Plan

The hearings will be held on at 6:30 p.m. in the Chautauqua County IDA Board Room, inside the BWB Building 201 W. Third St. in Jamestown.

The hearing will include a brief presentation of projects and an opportunity for county citizens to ask questions and give input on the plan.

For more information, contact the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature got an opportunity to review 13 different proposed shared services and consolidation projects that will soon be formally presented to the state as part of a Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Countywide Shared Services Initiative (CWSSI). The initiative involves Chautauqua County and five other counties in the running for a $20 million competitive grant.

County Executive Vince Horrigan (left) gives a presentation to the county legislature on the county’s proposed Shared Services plan during a meeting on Aug. 23, 2017.

On Wednesday night Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan walked legislators through each of the 13 proposals, which include consolidating the Jamestown Police Department with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, developing a more regional plan for coordinating and operating the county’s 42 fire departments, dissolving and merging the towns of Gerry and Charlotte along with the village of Sinclairville, and improving shared services and offices spaces between Dunkirk and Fredonia as well as between the village of Lakewood and the town of Busti.

• VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST OF PROJECTS

The projects were point together through the county’s Regional Solutions Commission.

The public will also have the opportunity to learn more about the proposals during a series of three scheduled public hearings that Horrigan will host next week.

The hearings will be held on:

• Tuesday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Technology Incubator in Dunkirk;
• Wednesday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the County EMS Office in Mayville;
• and Thursday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the CCIDA Board Room, 201 W. Third St. in Jamestown.

Each hearing will include a brief presentation of projects and an opportunity for county citizens to ask questions and give input on the plan.

The shared service initiative establishes panels in each county across the state, which was tasked with developing a shared services plan. That plan must be reviewed by the Legislature for comment and presented to the public before it can be sent to the New York State Division of Budget for consideration of the $20 million in funding.

For more information on the plan or next week’s hearings, contact the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

• VIEW FULL AGENDA

Among the items to be considered by the legislature is a resolution that would allow the county to sue pharmaceutical companies, claiming that their effort to push for the over prescription of opioid medications has led to the current drug and opioid epidemic.

The resolution, entitled “Authorize Litigation Against Major Drug Manufacturers to Recover Current and Future Damages to the County from Abuse of Opioid Pharmaceuticals,” would be similar to the past litigation effort filed against the tobacco industry. According to the language of the resolution, the county is joining other counties in the state in seeking to “recover damages from those parties directly contributing to high costs to the taxpayers in the form of increased social services, policing, and other expenditures, so as to mitigate the impact of same.”

Also on Wednesday, Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan is scheduled to give a presentation on the county’s Shared Services Plan, which is currently in the running for a $20 million grant from the state.

And the legislature will say goodbye to legislator Mark Tarbrake (R-Jamestown, District 14), who is moving out of his district and as a result has to step down form the panel. The seat will likely remain open until a new legislator is selected in the November election.  Only one candidate will appear on the ballot for that seat – Dan Pavlock (R-Charlotte).

Wednesday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and in the legislative chambers in Mayville and is open to the public.