Citizen Action of New York denounces the budget passed in Monroe County, which includes $14 million more for the Sheriff’s office, 4 new ADAs to prosecute retail and catalytic converter theft, and limited investments in affordable housing and climate initiatives.
Stevie Vargas, Regional Director, Western New York for Citizen Action, said, “Once again, legislators in Monroe County have shown that they will throw millions and millions of dollars into criminalizing people, without investing meaningfully in programs that would help people meet their basic needs. This is a backwards and outdated way of dealing with social problems—one that data has shown, time and again, increases trauma and doesn’t solve problems. We need a budget that prioritizes the wellbeing of our people.”
Citizen Action of New York continues to organize for a world where we can all thrive, where social programs are funded at the capacity to meet the need, and unnecessary incarceration is a thing of the past.
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Contact: Cassady Fendlay, 908-499-3380
Dana Balter, 315-876-1260