ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — The Erie County Legislature approved amendments to the 2026 budget proposals on Monday during a special session.

Perhaps the biggest change to the budget, plans to bond $20M for the study needed to design and build a new Sheriff's Office jail in Alden.

Chair of the Legislature Timothy Meyers says that lawmakers got mixed reactions from constituents about the plans for a new jail that could cost the county nearly $500M.

"We know that it would force us to go over the property tax cap," Meyers said. "Nobody wanted to do that."

The Democratic majority passed an amendment that shifted $1.25M to an urban initiative line item for the cities of Buffalo, Lackawanna and Tonawanda.

Previously, County Executive Mark Poloncarz did not propose funding that item in the 2026 budge

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