Matt Old wants 4 more years

BERLIN TWP. — Matt Old believes he's accomplished a lot during his first term. Though, Old said, it'll take at least a few more years to correct nearly three decades' worth of ill-fated financial blunders made by the person he replaced. "I'm proud of my record as an Erie County commissioner but understand there's much more work to do," said Old, who seeks re-election this fall on the ballot. Old, a Republican, takes on Grant Harding, a Democrat, in the Nov. 3 general election. "Even after four years of strong financial management, Erie County still has over $60 million in debt. We must continue to pay this down," Old said. Old reversed much of what his predecessor, Tom Ferrell, did in office — namely spending, and also borrowing, millions of taxpayer dollars on questionable projects resulting in substandard work. Just look to a shoddy $21 million water line serving rural county customers. Debuting in the mid-2000s, it's already prone to breaking, cracking and fracturing. It's also the subject of an ongoing taxpayers' lawsuit, contending how shoddy construction practices and lackadaisical supervision resulted in a severely compromised system. "We need to ensure justice for those who were negatively impacted by the water line," Old said. Under Ferrell, Erie County's debt ballooned 427% between 1988, when he was first elected, and 2008, when it peaked to $116 million. In 2009, Pat Shenigo won his election and, with Ferrell still on board, combatted him to ultimately pare down spending. Erie County's debt incrementally shrank and continued to do so in 2017, when Old took over for Ferrell, who opted against another term in office. Old and Shenigo paired up on many cost-cutting measures still in place today. "Our government can never go back to the wild spending days of years past," Old said. "We have to come up with a better way of doing business." This includes cutting out the middlemen on costly county undertakings. "Rather than spend millions on consultants, we have been able to use our own employees to complete major projects by using common sense and hard work," Old said. "I will continue to be a watchdog for the taxpayer." Fondly looking back Among the three initiatives Old feels best about over his past four years in office: • Lowering the debt: "We continue to pay down the county's massive debt." • Collaborating on child care: "Working together with many parties, we were able to speed up the time it takes to get foster children into adoptive homes. This is a really big deal for those kids. We still have work to do, but the process is greatly improved." • Improving infrastructure: "Using our own employees, we have saved tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on infrastructure projects, such as the NASA pump station at Sheldon Marsh." Key takeaways Old talked about what he learned during his first term and how he'll apply those lessons to a future term if elected: • Working together: "Local government needs a healthy dose of common sense. We simply can't continue to spend millions of dollars on projects that can be done for a fraction of the cost." • Saving smartly: "You can't spend your way to success. Sound financial management is what will allow our county to thrive in the long run." • Opposing tax hikes: "We don't need to raise taxes. Erie County — like most other governments — had a spending problem, not a revenue issue." Looking forward Among the three areas where Old wants to focus on and enhance for residents if elected: • Providing services to combat addiction: "We are still working on ensuring a full circle of care for those who suffer from addiction. Erie County has made unprecedented investments in the last four years in services for the addicted, but there is still more that can be done. We also need to work with the mental health and recovery board to expand services to those with mental health and addiction needs." • Maintaining sound financial practices: "We need to continue to wisely invest in county infrastructure without increasing the debt." • Creating employment opportunities: "We need to focus on economic and workforce development by working with regional partners throughout the area."