The Reader Beat Monthly Recap

The Reader Beat aims to cover city and county council meetings as well as other important government and community-related meetings. The following is a summary of each meeting for the month of November.

City Council Nov. 5: During public comments, constituent Robert Takecs, who uses a wheelchair, explained that sidewalks are not being maintained well enough for him to be able to use them. "I have been pulled over by cops 24-7 for riding on the streets in my wheelchair," he said. "How can I ride on the sidewalk when all the sidewalks are all broken up?" During reports, Councilmember Jasmine Flores advocated for better pedestrian access in the city. "Getting pulled over while trying to get around the city is unacceptable," Flores said.

An ordinance appropriating $25,000 from a Community Partnerships Program Grant administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) passed unanimously.

County Council Nov. 6: Constituents shared their thoughts on the upcoming 2026 budget with the council. Constituent Malcolm Pulliam requested possible funding for body cameras. "I am hoping and praying that you guys put that to action," Pulliam said, then referencing Marchello Woodard's death by a parole officer. "This situation probably would be a closed case deal if those two gentlemen had on body cams." In his report, Andre Horton reflected on his past 12 years on county council as he will now serve on city council following his election win. "Representation matters and to be celebrated for being the first and only person of color to ever be elected to any county position in the 225 years of the county is both humbling and sad at the same time," said Horton.

A resolution for the approval of a $4,000 transfer of funds from the Public Defender Budget to multiple General Fund Budgets passed unanimously. Rock Copeland provided clarity on this resolution, saying: "From time to time in our various budgets you have unspent money, that doesn't necessarily mean you didn't invest in those services or you weren't delivering those services. A lot of times you can't fill every job so you have money left over in a lot of different budgets."

City Council Nov. 19: Speakers during public comments encouraged the council to consider a community police advisory board in light of the death of Marchello Woodard. Since Woodard was shot by a state parole officer in July, no arrests or charges have been made. Some constituents discussed town halls happening throughout the city to address inequalities among community members, like No Hate in Our State. Shateria Franklin, 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, founder of Destiny of Our Daughters, and mother of Marchello Woodard's youngest son, spoke at the event at the Erie Art Museum on Nov. 13. "She spoke so clearly, so personally, and really so generously, not just for herself but for every person in this city and for the need for transparency, accountability, and justice," constituent Mimi O'Conner said. "Throughout most of her presentation she had tears running down her face."

City council also held a public hearing on a possible new residential build in the West Bayfront neighborhood during the meeting, at the request of the Planning Department and recommendation of the Planning Commission to consider a request for Waterfront Conditional Use submitted by McErie Partners LP, for construction of multiple-family dwellings, consisting of two three-story buildings totaling 30 units, located on nine consolidated vacant lots on the intersections of Front, Short, and Myrtle streets. Councilmember Flores expressed concern about the apartment building potentially blocking the view of the water for current residents in the area. Constituent Chanel Caljean mentioned that Erie is a community-centric city but did not see any shared community space on the building's grounds. Constituent Martha Nwachukwu (Erie's 40 Under 40 Class of 2019) brought up the historical and cultural significance of the neighborhood for the BIPOC community and encouraged the developers to consider it in their planning.

County Council Nov. 20: During this meeting, council passed the 2026 budget with some significant amendments. Some constituents commented on those amendments, discussing the lack of resources in lower east side neighborhoods and low pay for county employees. Constituent Jerry Roberts highlighted the small portion of the 2026 budget given to the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Commission (Diverse Erie) in the amount of $500,000. He also discussed how the county failed to give the commission the proposed sum of $10 million when it was created in 2021 and to date the commission has only received half of that funding. "Today, Diverse Erie only received $5 million of the $10 million that was promised. Erie County declared racism as an emergency crisis and it has not been treated as an emergency. I'm asking that Diverse Erie, Erie's Black Wall Street, and community centers be fully funded." Councilmember Andre Horton echoed Roberts' statements and stated that he would like to see the full $10 million allocated to the commission in future budgets. "Equity and inclusion are very different things, and clearly the BIPOC community hasn't been included in any investment; in fact, our communities have been disinvested," Horton said.

Council addressed the 2026 budget, reviewed amendments, and approved a .33-millage property tax increase in order to balance the budget. They also allocated funds to programs and organizations such as Diverse Erie, Erie Black Wall Street, and voted to supply body cameras to law enforcement and probation departments.

Following the approval of the 2026 budget by council in a vote of 4-3, with Bayle, Schauerman, and Winarski voting no, County Executive Brenton Davis vetoed over $1 million in funding for Diverse Erie, Erie's Black Wall Street, and more.

City Council Dec. 3: Public comments addressed the resolution brought forward by council to acknowledge the death of Marchello Woodard and to ask for updates regarding the status of the investigation and to release information to the public to the fullest extent permitted by law. Constituent Shateria Franklin, mother of Woodard's youngest son, urged council to pass the resolution, saying: "We hold positions of power to make change, not to make a name for ourselves, not to build our pockets up, but to actually make change." Constituent Susannah Faulkner suggested that a member or members of city council go to Harrisburg to meet with Governor Josh Shapiro, who has not responded to the letter Mayor Joe Schember and council sent in July regarding Woodard's death. "You have entry into rooms we do not," Faulkner said. During committee reports, Tyler Titus committed to making the trip to Harrisburg to meet with Shapiro.

The resolution requesting transparency and timely public updates regarding the death of Marchello Woodard and the ongoing investigation by the Erie County District Attorney and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole passed unanimously.

Coming up this month:

County Council: Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.

City Council: Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.