The Reader Beat: County Council Notes from May 6, 2025

I attended the County Council meeting on May 6 at 6 p.m. There were few people in the audience and public comments primarily discussed concerns around an ordinance for first reading that involves funding immigrant detainments. Vice Chairman Rock Copeland addressed these concerns during and after the meeting, citing instances where both criminals and law abiding people with legal status were detained. "There's the opportunity that we could have actual citizens in lockup before they get to see the judge to say, 'no, I am actually a legal citizen.'" The meeting centered around the following ordinances: 

• An ordinance for the supplemental appropriation of $25,000 for safety and security improvements with AOPC Safety & Security Grant Reimbursement passed unanimously.
• An ordinance amending Ordinance Number 9, 2025 (a guarantee agreement for the benefit of Pleasant Ridge Manor and compliance with the provisions thereof and incurring nonelectoral debt thereby approving a $700,000 Letter of Credit Agreement from Pleasant Ridge to First National Bank of Pennsylvania) passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance repealing Resolution Number 28, 2017 (to prohibit the employment of elected county officials and their families to the Erie County Community College) failed with a 4-3 vote. Council Members Chris Drexel, Rock Copeland, André Horton, and Terry Scutella voted no. 
• An ordinance for the Fourth 2025 General Fund Budget supplemental appropriation of $125,228 for release of restricted fund balance of adult probation supervision fees had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance for the Fifth 2025 General Fund Budget supplemental appropriation of $86,353 for release of restricted automation fees in the Clerk of Courts Office was motioned to be considered read a second time by Copeland. The motion passed and the ordinance was voted on. The ordinance passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the Sixth 2025 General Fund Budget supplemental appropriation of $90,259 for release of restricted automation fees in the Prothonotary Office was motioned to be considered read a second time by Copeland. The motion passed and the ordinance was voted on. The ordinance passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the Seventh 2025 General Fund Budget supplemental appropriation of $185,937 for release of restricted automation fees in the Register of Wills Office was motioned to be considered read a second time by Copeland. The motion passed and the ordinance was voted on. The ordinance passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance Eighth 2025 General Fund Budget supplemental appropriation of $433,620 for additional federal revenue for housing immigration detainees had its first reading and was not voted on. Public comments still addressed this ordinance, discussing concerns around potentially funding detainments without due process. Constituent Matt Texter urged council that if Erie has an opportunity to "to make sure that when we look back, Erie's business wasn't in handling those that did not receive due process, that Erie's business isn't now a moneymaker off of not having a clear understanding of what the benchmarks of a criminal are." 
• An ordinance for the approval of a waiver of the bid requirements under the purchasing and sales procedures of the administrative code and approval of a sole vendor contract between FirstMatch and County of Erie Juvenile Probation had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance Amending the Erie County Administrative Code to remove Erie County Care Management, Inc. and all references thereto from Article II, Section 5(B) of the Code, including removal of all provisions of Subsection (1)(a) of the Code; and repealing all inconsistent ordinances had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance to reintroduce Ordinance Number 17, 2025 (the approval of a waiver of the bid requirements under the purchasing and sales procedures of the Administrative Code and approval of a sole vendor contract between Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) and the County of Erie) was motioned to be considered read a second time by Copeland. The motion passed and the ordinance was voted on. The ordinance passed unanimously. 
• The possible reappointment of Melissa Doerr Zdunski to the Erie County Board of Assessment Appeal was passed unanimously. 
• The possible appointment of Mary Kay Eisert to the Erie County Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities was passed unanimously.
• The possible reappointment of Dominic Maleno to the Erie County Agricultural Land Preservation Board was passed 6-1. Council Member Jim Winarski voted no. 
• The possible appointment of Carl J. Anderson, III to the Erie County Community College Board of Trustees was motioned to be untabled by Copeland and passed with a 5-2 vote. The appointment was voted on but failed 1-6. Council Members Terry Scutella, Rock Copeland, Chris Drexel, André Horton, Charlie Bayle, and Ellen Schauerman voted no.