Author Archives: Campaign Manager

“Far-left politicians created this migrant crisis, and now they want Upstate communities to bear the burden”

Erie County, NY – As the migrant crisis created by the expiration of Title 42 intensifies, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul have proposed busing thousands of migrants to communities in Upstate New York. Erie County Executive Candidate Chrissy Casilio is calling on Mark Poloncarz to speak out against the shortsighted and inadvisable plan to force Upstate taxpayers to alleviate the stress of New York City being unprepared.

“Far-left politicians created this border and migrant crisis, and now they want Upstate communities to carry the burden,” said Casilio. “While County Executives around the state are speaking out against this reckless and inhumane plan, Mark Poloncarz remains silent. Erie County taxpayers deserve a leader who will make it clear that they will not be forced to pay for the disastrous immigration policies of the state and federal government.”

“Erie County has a long history of welcoming refugees and immigrants, but the current situation is unsustainable and puts too much strain on local communities. As County Executive, I would stand up for our community and ensure that Erie County’s residents are not left to bear the brunt of this failure.”

Republican and Conservative Candidate for Erie County Executive Chrissy Casilio issued the following statement criticizing County Executive Mark Poloncarz for failing to make any effort to reverse a soon-to-be-approved state budget proposal that will withhold federal aid intended to help offset Medicaid costs for county governments.

“With the help of the Democrat-controlled State Legislature, Mark Poloncarz’s political ally Kathy Hochul, is advancing a plan to begin withholding enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding that was intended to help counties pay for skyrocketing Medicaid costs.  This plan, when fully implemented over the next three years, could result in Erie County losing as much as $41 million in federal assistance.

In a shocking display of inaction and inattention, Mark Poloncarz has done nothing to stop the state government from irresponsibly, and possibly illegally, intercepting these federal dollars to support the bloated New York State budget.  Elected county leaders from across New York and both political parties have fought against this proposal.  Local government advocates have called for the state to continue sharing these monies as the federal government intended as part of the Affordable Care Act.

But not Mark Poloncarz.  He’s been silent.  He’s shown no leadership.  He’s out of touch with what’s happening in Albany and how it impacts Erie County.  And once again, our community will suffer greatly.

The state budget will soon be finalized and tens of millions of dollars that could have reduced our tax burden, enhanced vital programs, or reinvigorated our stagnate economy will be lost in yet another example of Mark Poloncarz’s mismanagement and failed economic policies.  I am calling on the County Executive to immediately engage with the New York State Association of Counties and county officials from around the state who are exploring legal remedies to try and restore these monies.  Then I am asking the concerned citizens and overburdened taxpayers of Erie County to act.  It’s time to vote to replace Mark Poloncarz.  Our financial future depends on it.”

Chrissy Casilio, endorsed Republican for Erie County Executive, picked up a key endorsement Tuesday from the Erie County Conservative Party.

“I am grateful to Chairman Ralph Lorigo and the Erie County Conservative Party for supporting my campaign for County Executive. I share their commitment to lowering taxes, supporting our small businesses, and defending the freedoms of the people of Erie County. I look forward to moving ahead with united Republican and Conservative support to defeat our far-left County Executive Mark Poloncarz this November.”

Endorsed Republican Candidate for Erie County Executive Chrissy Casilio issued the following statement in response to Mark Poloncarz’s State of the County address this afternoon:

“For the eleventh year in a row, Mark Poloncarz has presented a State of the County Address that is long on rhetoric, short on facts and attempts to mislead county residents into believing that our community and our government are in far better shape than we know them to be.

In bragging that he has accumulated a nearly 100 million dollar surplus on the backs of county taxpayers, he tries to hide that a surplus of this magnitude was either accumulated by overtaxing people or mismanaging projects and programs intended to serve the community. Either way, it disqualifies him from earning the ability to continually serve.

Now he says he wants to use this surplus to fund countless new initiatives. These are bold promises for an administration with a long history of not finishing what they started. Whether it’s the long-abandoned new convention center, the still incomplete Bethlehem Steel Redevelopment Project, or the ErieNet Rural Broadband for All initiative that has yet to serve a single school, business, or resident, Mark Poloncarz continues to show us he’s great at announcing things, but lousy on delivering the finished product.

And despite the ravages of inflation and continuing struggles businesses face after the pandemic, his speech didn’t include any relief for taxpayers or meaningful initiatives to revitalize our economy.

Now that the speech is over, here’s what taxpayers and residents know to be true. Over the course of his 17 years in county government, Mark Poloncarz has increased county spending by almost $1 billion and raised property taxes by 39%. From the mess at our community college to the mismanagement of recent storms and lack of appropriate oversight of overtime for his hand-picked commissioners, Mark Poloncarz has mismanaged numerous departments and programs in county government. And he wasted $360 million in federal stimulus monies that failed to help improve our economy after COVID.

Mark abused his power and abdicated his responsibility during COVID. People died. The praise for healthcare workers is disingenuous, especially when he aided in the release of hundreds of nurses, which led to deadly shortages in ERs and critical care units.

Today, he promised us more of the same. It’s time for voters to let Mark Poloncarz know that Erie County deserves better.

(Buffalo, NY) – Endorsed Republican candidate for Erie County Executive Chrissy Casilio officially qualified for a spot on the ballot in November by filing an impressive 8,461 signatures with the Erie County Board of Elections today.

“I am thrilled with the tremendous outpouring of support that our campaign has received from the hundreds of volunteers who carried my petitions and the more than 8,400 voters whose signatures reinforce they want change in county government,” said Casilio.  “Erie County residents know that Mark Poloncarz has been in office too long, and that his administration is out of touch with the needs of our community.  I understand the frustration being felt by the people who signed my petitions, and residents all across Erie County, and I will be fighting for them in the weeks and months ahead.”

County-wide candidates are required to collect a minimum of 2,000 signatures from registered voters affiliated with a major party to secure their place on the ballot.  Oftentimes, long tenured incumbents like Poloncarz use their political machines to attempt to invalidate enough signatures to prevent their opponents from qualifying for the ballot.  Casilio’s volume of signatures leaves her with a substantial cushion to survive any such potential effort by the incumbent.

“Besides the sheer number of signatures, I am also energized by the enthusiasm I’ve experienced from voters when accompanying the volunteers knocking on their doors,” said Casilio.  “The struggles our taxpayers and businesses are feeling are real, and they are excited to know that there is someone running for County Executive who is willing to challenge the status quo and ready to lead our community in a new direction and towards a brighter future.  That’s the message I’ll be taking to voters as the campaign moves forward,” Casilio concluded.

(Clarence, NY) – Life-long Erie County resident, small business owner, and community leader Chrissy Casilio, announced her campaign for Erie County Executive today.

The owner of Casilio Communications, the first-time candidate pointed to the fiscal pressures faced by families and businesses alike and emphasized that a change in leadership was necessary to get Erie County and its economy moving again.

“As a taxpayer and a mother, I know personally how difficult it is for families in Erie County to make ends meet, and as a small business owner I know the struggles so many companies face just to try and survive in this post-pandemic economy,” stated Casilio.  “After 17 years of Mark Poloncarz in County Hall, it has never been clearer that he does not understand the challenges we face and that we need new leadership to move our community forward,” she added.

Endorsed by the Erie County Republican Party over the weekend, Casilio said she believes her candidacy represents new leadership, and a more cooperative and collaborative approach to governing.   She promised to be a better partner in government with the county’s twenty-three cities, towns, and villages than Poloncarz has been, and stressed her belief that the county executive must work with, and address the needs of, every community across Erie County.

“Too many rural communities have been forgotten and ignored by this administration while the largest city in upstate New York has been treated with an astonishing degree of condescension and disrespect,” said Casilio.  “I want every city, town, and village to know that when I am County Executive, they will have a partner in the Rath Building they can rely on, not a politician whose motives and behavior they can’t trust.”

A graduate of the University at Buffalo with a degree in journalism, Casilio founded her marketing and public relations firm in 2013.  Active in her community, she was the youngest president of the Clarence Rotary Club where she spearheaded the development of the Clarence Veterans Memorial, a million-dollar public-private partnership that honors local veterans.

Committed to developing and encouraging future community leaders, Casilio has been engaged for several years in business mentoring of high school and college students, helping prepare them for successful careers while emphasizing the importance of giving back to their community.

Casilio and her husband Zach are the proud parents of three children, six-year-old Andrew, four-year-old Leah, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Cara.