A year ago, no one thought a Republican could be elected the next Erie County Executive. A budget crisis, presided over by two-term Republican Joel Giambra, led to an unprecedented shut down of county government and the installment of a fiscal control board. In an already Democratic county, this seemed to make a Democratic victory all but certain. And with an unknown businessman as the GOP nominee, Democrats were starting to pack their boxes for a move back to the 16th floor of the Rath County Building.
That is where Chris Collins now sits, after pulling 63 percent of the county and every city, town, village and hamlet outside Buffalo, along with parts of Buffalo itself. A multimillionaire taking a $1 annual salary, Collins has been trying to implement an agenda out to change the core of how county government operates.
Vowing to operate government like a business, he recruited private sector executives to staff top roles in his administration. His deputy county executive, budget director and county attorney all come from the private sector. He talks in corporate speak, referring to himself as the “upfront and visible CEO,” while his deputy, Mark Davis, is the inside-operations man.
Collins has made Six Sigma, the corporate training and metrics measurement program championed by former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch, his mantra. Speaking with the zeal of a preacher, Collins declared that the program will upgrade the skills of the county workforce and allow them to feel good about coming to work each day.
“Six Sigma is a business method and works in service industries all the time,” he said. “We all are human beings and all want to feel good about what we accomplished.”
Intergovernmental communication has been central to his approach as well. Since taking office in January, he has led monthly meetings of all the countywide elected officials and legislative leadership. There will also be quarterly meetings of the county’s mayors and town supervisors.
But some derided him for over-reliance on private sector principles. And, in private, several Republican activists have expressed unhappiness over his hiring without regard to party affiliation. Meanwhile, Buffalo residents have hit Collins for spending much of his time, and holding his inaugural, outside the city.
While the lopsided Democratic county legislature has been generally supportive of Collins, the body has started to push back in several ways, such as its unusually intense review of Collins’ appointee as county attorney. Legislature Chairperson Lynn Marinelli said the body wants to work with Collins, but will not serve as a rubber stamp corporate board for him.
Last November, Giambra said he believed Collins would grow frustrated in government and resign by the end of his first year.
Upbeat, like the longtime Boy Scout leader he is, Collins quickly brushed aside Giambra’s resignation talk.
“I am not resigning in a year,” Collins said. “I am energized. I am more convinced, after three months, than ever, that the county can run like a business.”