Erie mayor praises city employees, cites grants and public-safety investments ahead of Employee Appreciation Day

The mayor of Erie used a March 6 press conference to thank city employees ahead of Employee Appreciation Day and to outline recent grants, capital purchases and community programs he credited to city staff efforts. The mayor said the city distributed millions in federal and state grants and reported progress on the city’s five-year financial plan, including a reported $2,000,000 general-fund surplus compared with a previously projected $24,000,000 deficit.

At the start of the remarks, the mayor highlighted a six-word strategic phrase: “build opportunity, restore hope, transform Erie,” and then reviewed programs across multiple departments. He credited the Department of Education and Community Development with distributing federal funding for after-school and youth programs and housing work, and he noted specific grant totals the city has pursued and administered over recent years, including community development block grants and CARES Act funds. The mayor also described investments in public safety, neighborhood cleanups and event programming that he said were supported by that grant funding.

The mayor said the Department of Education and Community Development has distributed, over recent years, $22,000,000 in community development block grants, $6,000,000 in home grants, $2,000,000 in emergency solutions grants and $4,700,000 in CARES Act funding. He named Deborah Smith (director), Dave Dieter (assistant director) and HUD grant administrator Veronica Fields for their roles in administering those funds and ensuring compliance with HUD regulations.

The mayor credited the city’s office of development services, led by Chris Groder, with growing revolving funds from $6,250,000 to more than $25,000,000 since 2018 and said the city’s grants team has brought in $120,000,000 in state and federal grants over the past seven years. He also acknowledged staff who succeeded the late grant writer Abby Skinner, naming Renee Lamas, Erin Lanke, Nicole Bridal, Kate Pat Blair and Mark Madlock for grant administration and accounting work.

On neighborhood programs, the mayor described the Love Your Block program, led by Liz Reyes, saying staff and volunteers have removed 180,000 pounds of trash, completed 184 projects, performed 288 repairs, installed 389 features, completed 66 landscaping projects and saved residents more than $183,000 in labor costs. He said a recent NAP grant from the Commonwealth is enabling expansion into the Central City, Snoops and Buffalo Road neighborhoods.

Speaking about public safety, the mayor said the Fire Department, led by Chief Len Trott with assistant chiefs Greg Purchase and Al Bucheryl, responded to more than 9,000 calls annually and that the city invested in station improvements and equipment: nearly $1,000,000 for work on six fire houses, $1,300,000 in new equipment, and the acquisition of a dive truck plus four new fire trucks costing $3,700,000 with a fifth truck expected next fall for $1,800,000. He also said the department added a third fire marshal and a detection canine, Horace, whose handler is Adam Gotti.

On policing, the mayor named Chief Dan Spizarni, Deputy Chiefs Bill Marucci and Rick Laura, Inspector Chris Janis and Captain Tony Tallarico and said the Erie Police Department responds to over 60,000 calls per year and has grown to 194 officers with expanded community programs. He said the Police Athletic League grew from six officers serving 35 students at one location to 120 officers serving 1,700 students in 28 locations and cited the Community Outreach Program at the Booker T. Washington Center as an ongoing initiative.

The mayor also listed other departments and staff by name — public works director Jason Sayers; planning and neighborhood resources director Jackie Spry; communications director Kyle Hannon; IT director Brian King; finance leaders Lisa Gomersall and Melissa Rizzo; and human resources director Eunice Moore and assistant director Carol McWerter — and credited them with event permitting, infrastructure projects and day-to-day services. He said the Miller Brothers Public Safety Project will transform 2111 State Street into a new emergency operations center and public-safety complex and described ongoing work on neighborhood planning, traffic safety studies and a citywide parks and open-space plan.

The mayor said the city has pursued a five-year financial management plan adopted in 2020 and described outcomes he attributed to that plan: reductions in long-term debt, steps to shore up pensions and avoided tax increases for six years while keeping earned-income taxes steady for seven years. The mayor reported that the city’s projected 2024 structural deficit of $24,000,000 was converted to a $2,000,000 net surplus. He attributed much of the ability to fund equipment, technology and personnel increases to grants including ARP and other federal funds.

The press conference concluded with the mayor thanking more than 700 city employees by name or department for their work and thanking other elected officials and their staffs. He encouraged followers to watch the city’s social media for updates.