[gentle music] Greetings, Erie County and a Happy New Year.

I'm Erie County Executive Brenton Davis.

It's been a great pleasure this first year to serve as your County Executive.

As it should be, each year I learn something new about the vast mechanisms in Erie County government.

Last January, my team and I immediately began to rebuild the infrastructure of our community, but more especially the trust between residents and Erie County government.

A change for common sense, reasonable, and forward thinking government, not forward thinking in terms of years, but in terms of generations.

When I campaigned for this office, I promised a regional approach focused on rebuilding all of Erie County through economic development and investments of your tax dollars to spur business and job growth.

We have left the previous practices of previous administrations in the past and have begun to lay a new foundation for Erie County, one that is stable and provides the investments and infrastructure necessary to not only compete but to win.

Decisions based upon data, not politics, cronyism or the tired, same old status quo.

It's been sometimes difficult to fight the entrenched forces of the entitlement and power, but I've never been afraid of a fight.

It's our strategy and mission to dismantle those silos of self-interest and inefficiency and replace those with new partnerships that will burst forth advanced technology and opportunities.

The most significant and impactful development of year one is Project Resolve.

Erie County's 5 million partnership with Penn State Barron.

Project Resolve is a regional strategy for shifting the plastics, metal casting, and transportation industries to a circular economic model to address plastic in waste pollution that ultimately affects the health of freshwater supplies, such as our Lake Erie.

Phase one is the Center for Advanced Manufacturing where focused laboratories will bring student, faculty, and industry innovation together to develop, test, and implement next generation technologies and practices.

It will be a sandbox for origination.

The center will also host the first full service integrated, heavy haul battery testing facility in the nation.

This capability will establish Northwest Pennsylvania and our surrounding region as a global powerhouse for the design, development and manufacturing of next generation heavy haul transportation equipment bolstering the competitiveness of an industry in which webtech is a chief player.

Keeping my promise to you to leverage your tax dollars through regional partnerships, the project also received the matching contribution from Penn State Maine of $5 million and an initial grant of a million and a half dollars from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This is the first of several anticipated grants.

Unlike some past risky projects, the "Erie Investment Playbook" authored by Bruce Katz, identifies it as the top shovel-ready project in the region, aligning with recommendations proposed by the Northwest Commission in the Comprehensive Economic Development Study released in 2012 and again in 2022.

Also, this aligns with the new commonwealth of innovation report by the Brookings Institution, which found that advanced industry employment in Pennsylvania has declined over the past decade, particularly so in Erie County.

The Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness as part of Project Resolve will help create around 5,000 jobs in the advanced manufacturing and plastic sectors while also increasing wages, reducing plastic waste locally and globally, and expanding access to related utilities such as broadband that would be created in Erie County and across the region.

There's no better pathway to prosperity than a good paying job that pays a family sustaining wage.

Part of my administration's efforts to attract new opportunities to our region is to be active with national organizations that interact with the individuals and companies who are also seeking innovation and job growth potentials.

In recognition of this focus, I was appointed by my peers, Vice Chair of the International Economic Development Task Force through the National Association of Counties, and also as the Vice Chair for the Pennsylvania Economic Development Committee through the County Commissioner's Association of Pennsylvania.

These appointments give Erie County the ability to have a seat at the table for statewide and national consideration.

This affords Erie County not only a voice but a place on the map like never before.

I refuse to simply sit back behind my desk and manage Erie County's decline.

I will continue to scour the country for economic opportunities to put Erie County first while being mindful of the expense to you, the taxpayers.

These trips, many of which are minimal in cost have allowed me to lobby for state and federal funding to build the crucial relationships with representatives of state and federal funding agencies along with the White House and the private sector businesses to market Erie County across the region and around the world.

Some have said, why would a new company come to Erie County?

This answer is our greatest gem, Lake Erie.

The trips have aligned us with multiple Great Lakes cruising companies and are working through the details of how to finally utilize our multimillion dollar cruise ship terminal that was built with over 10 million of year tax paying money.

I will tell you more about some new opportunities coming from our blue economy in a few minutes.

A vital importance in 2022 was retooling of priorities inside of Erie County government which moved us away from paying outside agencies millions of dollars to do what we should have been doing ourselves.

The first step was to reject the $26.5 million ARPA funding plan.

These decisions forced upon my administration by an outgoing council and county executive in 2021.

With the help of brave, forward thinking and politically courageous council members, Brian Shank, Ellen Scherman, Jim Winarski and Charlie Bale.

Those reclaimed ARPA funds have established the Erie County Economic Development Department to tirelessly pursue economic opportunities and educational partnerships like never before.

Powered by a $50,000 grant from the National Association of Counties, I used elements of my newly formed department to work directly with governments in surrounding counties in three states in what I term a fusion cell.

The fusion cell is also very active in reaching out to your local city, township and boroughs to leverage Erie County ARPA funds and maximize the communication and investments in all areas of Erie County.

This fusion cell along with Erie County Planning, Public Safety, and the Erie County Council of Governments has been instrumental in the implementation of the Tri-County EMS Plan which serves Erie, Crawford, and Warren counties, enabling us to share resources, personnel, and infrastructure to provide consistent quality emergency medical services.

This regional cooperative model is the answer to the serious issues of volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel shortages.

In addition, Erie County invested ARPA funds of nearly $400,000 into operational support and another $100,000 committed in EMS scholarships to help with retention and recruitment of individuals to join in providing these vital services.

These services are vital for our county residents who live outside of city fire and EMS protections.

I'm devoted to making the Erie County Community College a pathway to permanent employment or higher education for enrollees.

My administration has invested a combined total of $5.5 million in Erie County gaming revenue and ARPA funds in 2022 to support infrastructure, tuition, empowerment, and barrier reduction grants to support programs in the Erie County Community College.

These programs are aimed at career pathways leading to high demand manufacturing, healthcare, and trade occupations for jobs that actually exist.

To that end, Erie County invested $400,000 in welding lab technologies, and allocated another three quarters of a million dollars for industrial maintenance and training equipment.

This coming year, an additional half a million will be invested in CNC machining equipment, and an additional focus on adding healthcare pathways for nursing, respiratory therapy, sonography, and IT career pathways in partnership with our local health systems.

We are tailor fitting non-credit workforce development training for local employers to upskill new and existing employees to fill the high demand jobs that are paying family sustaining wages.

One example of the non-credit coursework is CNC machine operations which currently train in collaboration with local employers to provide on-the-job apprenticeship style training enabling employees to both earn and learn.

This administration and partnership with the Council of Governments has taken the lead when it comes to delivering high-speed broadband to all corners of Erie County.

We have invested in a high-speed internet feasibility study that will analyze broadband infrastructure throughout all of Erie County's 38 municipalities.

This study will identify coverage gaps at a granular level.

This data will be critical as we launch our challenge against the FCC's newly released map.

The current FCC map declares Erie County as a 100% covered, which is not accurate.

The more data we can collect, the more successful this challenge will be improving the need for infrastructure in our region and attaining a fair and equitable investment which our residents deserve.

To assist in the collection of this necessary data and move our county into the vast present and future through the use of GIS data, my administration has created a coordinating director for the synchronized use and application of county geographic information systems.

This technology, which generates map datasets was independently created in five different departments with little coordination or communication.

The result was an under leveraged asset that compared poorly to even much smaller counties.

Upon my swearing in, my administration assumed responsibility immediately for the highest number of reported COVID cases at the very peak of the pandemic.

Due to an effective transition team, we were prepared on day one to hit the ground running on the public health crisis and the mission, developing strategy, providing resources, and realigning protocols for how Erie County would operate moving forward.

My first action in office mere moments after swearing in was to immediately rescind the countywide mask mandates and return autonomy to the school districts, parents, and the individuals to make the right choices for themselves and for their families as free people.

We immediately make testing and vaccination sites available for those who chose to do so.

As the fight against COVID-19 continued, we worked in partnership with the local hospital systems to stand up the first test to treat facilities as promised far ahead of many other counties across Pennsylvania and the nation.

This forward thinking and proactive approach reduced the strain upon local hospital systems and the impacts of the pandemic on our economy, our businesses, and most importantly, you and your family.

As we move forward post-pandemic, many of our children have suffered due to shutdowns and the lack of normalcy in the classroom.

My administration has entered into agreements with local school districts at a total of over $1 million of COVID-19 funds to assist districts in providing increased mental health support for students and families as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout my year as county executive, I have been a fierce advocate for the fair spending of taxpayer money, your money.

I have repeatedly said that I will not stand for improprieties, even the perception of impropriety or self-dealing by agencies spending your hard-earned tax dollars.

Time and again, we see the same people from the same organizations and they received the lion share of the funding.

This once common practice is now over.

The open checkbook of your money is now closed.

In 2022, Erie County government successfully deployed $241.4 million in social services in partnership with state governmental agencies for funding and local providers to serve over 2,800 persons with intellectual disabilities, 23,000 people with mental illness, and/or substance use disorders, 3000 people in homelessness and supportive housing programs, nearly 2000 children under the age of four, early intervention services and helped approximately 3,500 families stay in their homes with the Emergency Rental Assistance program while distributing over $25 million in support of this.

Our Department of Human Services also worked with over 6,500 families across Erie County to improve the quality of their children's lives through our office of Children and Youth.

Our Drug and Alcohol Abuse Agency is working with a community group to ensure that we properly invest opioid settlement funds in a way that hits issues of addiction head on.

One of my proudest achievements in this past year was the passage of a balanced no tax increased budget by working with a nonpartisan group of county council members who like me put taxpayers first.

Our decision to use the county's ample fund balance allowed approval of an honest and balanced budget that didn't burden you any further with new taxes.

As inflation sores and a dozen eggs are $6, and a gallon of gas tops $4, my administration simply could not ask you the taxpayers to foot the bill.

Now is not the time for a tax increase.

The pathway to future prosperity in Erie County only comes through the faithful application of economic principles and a dogmatic belief in saving taxpayer dollars whenever and wherever possible.

Directing funds judiciously toward job creation and economic progress, including public investment and transformational projects such as Project Resolve.

A healthy and economically stable community comes through steady investment, a pro-business environment aimed at organic business and economic growth.

This drives revenue and progress.

This drives opportunities, not more taxes.

Now, even more exciting news, I'll be bringing before County Council, Erie County's potential collaborative partnership with Gannon University.

It's called Project NePTWNE, which is short for Nano and Polymer Technology for Water and Neural Networks in Erie.

NePTWNE is designed to address these concerns in four phases.

Gannon University's water sustainability initiative takes an inclusive and holistic approach to addressing water quality, climate change, economic development, and equality of life for our residents.

A major factor impacting water quality and ecological health is the presence of microplastics in waterways.

Measuring and removing these pollutants along with the developing new solutions to prevent the pollutants from ever ending the water must be a priority for our region.

As more pressure is placed on access to bodies of fresh water and fresh foods, including fish, it is imperative that as a region we are informed, engaged, and positioned to respond to the threats and opportunities to maintain quality drinking water and ensure the public and economic health of our community but also of Lake Erie.

Gannon University is committed to its long history of aquatic research, education, and outreach.

This is demonstrated through our emerging initiative regarding Lake Health.

This effort aims to reconcile the environment with the economy to preserve and steward Lake Erie, while simultaneously responding to our community's needs near the Bayfront in the neighborhoods and growing the economy through job creation.

This project, we feel will be a catalyst for other research and development in Lake Erie waters.

Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes is the perfect location for the birth of new water and sustainability industries.

I have such confidence in this path.

The county has engaged new localism associates to conduct a study of the blue economy.

The blue economy is a sustainable use of Great Lakes resources for economic growth and improve livelihoods of Lake Erie economic ecosystem and our health.

We're a part of a $6 trillion economic engine that remains virtually untapped.

To date, Erie County gleans approximately 63 million and this study paid for by a private grant funds through NACO may yet bring more possibilities for Erie County growth.

NePTWNE much like Resolve and the others yet to come allow for the creation of high paying jobs and opportunities for the next generation to align educational opportunities with lifelong family sustaining careers.

These steps are only the first of many leaps we will take as a community, focused on a pro-growth, pro-business, and pro-family environment.

So many of you have taken the time to reach out and your opinions, concerns, and gratitude for the county's new direction is greatly appreciated.

I look forward to the coming year and the much work ahead.

I thank you for your trust and your support.

Let's get to work.

[gentle music]