Getting Things Done for
Erie County

Reopening Erie County

When Brenton Davis took office, Erie County was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s failure to confront it effectively. Remember? Testing was hard to obtain. Kids were being told to wear masks, and our economy suffered under Harrisburg’s decision to pick winners and losers when it came to business closures. People were even forbidden to leave Erie County!

Brenton Davis changed that, and got Erie working again:

  • An end to unnecessary masking for our children.

  • Shops and businesses back up and running.

  • Worked with local health provider LECOM to open drive-through COVID-19 testing and treatment facilities, diverting people from overcrowded ERs and toward the diagnosis and treatment they needed.

Investing in Jobs

Brenton Davis knew that Erie County needed a jumpstart to reverse years of political and economic neglect. Instead of dozens of little power cliques, he looked to consolidate efforts for the biggest impact. The results?

  • Created the Erie County Economic Development Department. This has led to thousands of contacts with companies and organizations, leading to more than a dozen direct investment visits. This is how you bring in new jobs: give them a point of contact and work to help them set up shop.

  • Funded the first business park in more than a quarter century with the purchase of 160 acres – McKean Business Park.

  • Partnered with Gannon University to establish Project Neptune, a first-of-its-kind center devoted to the study of Lake Erie, one of our county’s greatest resources and a crucial link in both our economy and our identity.

  • Funds and help for Project Resolve at Penn State’s Behrend Campus.

  • Funded and aided in the completion of Project Resolve at Penn State Behrend. The project’s focus is to help build Erie’s plastics and metals sector, giving the creative spark to these growing sectors to help them meet everything from supply chain to environmental goals.

  • Leveraged $2 million in ARPA funds with Allegheny Health Network, UPMC and Lecom to create the allied health workforce facility at Erie County Community College.

  • An impressive $750,000 for welding and other equipment to train future members of the workforce at EC3 – the affiliated, city campus of Erie County Community College. Brenton Davis has made sure EC3’s construction trades program remains on track for our future workers.

Putting the People First

From last November’s “Snowmageddon” to reaching smaller communities long overlooked by Erie’s old guard, Brenton Davis has taken new energy and focus when it comes to serving all our citizens.

  • Brenton offered strong leadership through the depths of COVID-19 and through a single week with 38 wildfires, a series of emergencies capped by November 2024’s “Snowmageddon.” Other counties were paralyzed. Erie County kept going as Brent brought in 100 pieces of additional snow removal equipment and adding almost 20,000 man-hours to get the streets clear. Brenton called on all Erie County employees to be ready to help the citizens. Not a single life was lost through all those weeks of fires, floods, wind and snow.

  • Since taking office, Brenton Davis tracked the county’s 911 data to help first responders work together. With $1.5 million in EMT and paramedic scholarships and better wages, Brenton is streamlining services to make sure no family is overlooked during an emergency. His leadership helped to reduce dropped emergency calls from 18 percent to one-to-three percent. And Brenton Davis realigned $2.5 million in count casino gaming revenues to support our hard-working EMS systems.

  • Invested $2 million to help Erie’s homeless population. Brenton Davis oversaw the conversion of the county’s work-release center to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness. It marked the first time in the county’s history that no unhoused individual was forced to sleep on the streets for lack of a place to go.

  • Erie County’s veterans now have a dynamic and effective department looking out for them. Brenton Davis’s Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans assisted Erie County veterans in obtaining more than $1 million in monthly disability benefits.