Draft:Mark Poloncarz

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For other people named Mark Poloncarz, see Mark Poloncarz (disambiguation).

Mark C. Poloncarz
Mark C. Poloncarz Headshot 2025
Erie County Executive
Incumbent
Assumed office January, 2012
Preceded by	Chris Collins
Erie County Comptroller
In office 2006–2011
Preceded by	James Hartman
Succeeded by	Stefan Mychajliw
Personal details
Born	(1967-11-07) November 7, 1967 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University at Buffalo (BA), University of Toledo (JD)
Website	markpoloncarz.com

Mark Poloncarz (November 7, 1967-present) is an American politician, serving as the 8th Erie County Executive and is Vice Chair of the National Democratic County Officials. He formerly served as the North East Regional Representative for the National Association of Counties and currently serves on their finance committee.

In addition to successfully negotiating two Buffalo Bills NFL lease agreements, Poloncarz led Erie County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 Buffalo shooting, racially motivated mass shooting at a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that claimed 10 lives , and multiple weather disasters, including the December 2022 North American winter storm.

Early life, education, and career

Mark Charles Poloncarz was born November 7, 1967 in Buffalo, New York to Polish-American parents. His father was a steelworker at Bethlehem Steel and his mother was a nurse.

The eldest of three brothers, Poloncarz was raised in Lackawanna, New York and graduated from Lackawanna Senior High School before attending the University at Buffalo. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science in 1989 and attended the University of Toledo, College of Law, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1997.

Prior to running for elected office, Poloncarz practiced business and finance law at Kavinoky and Cook. In 2003, he joined the John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign serving as Buffalo and Western New York coordinator and spokesperson. At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Poloncarz was an at-large district delegate for John Kerry.

Political career

Erie County Comptroller 2006-2011

Following a financial crisis in Erie County, New York government, in April of 2005, Poloncarz announced a run for Erie County Comptroller. Poloncarz, the endorsed Democratic Party candidate, defeated opponents Robert Whalen and Richard Parwarski in the September democratic party primary.

In the November general election, Poloncarz ran against Republican John J. Canavan and Robert Whalen on the conservative line. On November 8th, 2005 Poloncarz won the three-way Erie County Comptroller race with 56% of the vote.

Much of Poloncarz’s first term was dedicated to restoring the credibility of the Erie County government and strengthening its financial position. In 2008, Poloncarz obtained the first increase in the county’s bond rating in nearly a decade. Later that same year, he was able to arrange a $75 million revenue anticipation note for the county after all credit markets shut down during the 2007–2008 financial crisis

In 2009, Poloncarz successfully ran for re-election against Republican Phillip C. Kadet and Independence Party candidate Michael J. Abramo earning 52% of the vote.

Early in his second term, Poloncarz secured additional credit rating upgrades for Erie County. Moody’s Investor Services increased the county rating from Baa2 to A2. Later that year, Fitch Ratings increased as well from BBB+ to A.

One of the most significant contributions of the Poloncarz comptroller administration was the creation of a ‘whistle blower hotline’ for the public to report waste, fraud, or abuse of county resources.

Erie County Executive 2011-present

In May of 2011, Poloncarz announced his candidacy for Erie County Executive. Later that month, the Erie County Democratic Committee endorsed Poloncarz for election. Poloncarz campaigned on restoring financial aid to the libraries and cultural institutions, reopening closed health clinics, investing in health and human services, and increasing programs and services while promising to be financially responsible with taxpayer dollars.

Despite entering the race as an underdog, a poll conducted by The Buffalo News one month before the election determined the race was a statistical dead heat.

On November 8, 2011, Poloncarz defeated Collins with 53% of the vote becoming Erie County’s 8th Executive and only the second democrat to hold the office.

First term 2012-2015

During his first inaugural address, Poloncarz set the tone of his administration by saying “government is not a business, and it should not be run like one….government is concerned with the welfare of those it represents, all of its citizens, not just taxpayers.”

His first term focused primarily on jump-starting the regional economy and improving county services like the IDA, Medicaid, and the Department of Social Services.

In October of 2012, Poloncarz released his 2013 proposed budget increasing the county’s tax levy and cutting jobs. This began a debate between Poloncarz and the legislature which ultimately resulted in the legislature eliminating the proposed tax hike.

During his first term, Poloncarz also announced the county, state, and professional football team had entered into a new 10-year lease extension at Ralph Wilson Stadium, thereby keeping the Bills in Buffalo. The agreement included $130 million of capital investment at the stadium.

Poloncarz led the county response to the November 13-21, 2014 North American winter storm, one of the worst to hit the region. It was known as "The Knife" storm by government officials and colloquially known as "Snowvember".

In August of 2015, Poloncarz signed into law a bill that prohibited the sale of personal cosmetic products containing microplastics also known as microbeads. This was one of the first pieces of legislation banning microbeads in the country, and later that year the federal government passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015.

Poloncarz sought a second term and ran against Republican NY State Assemblyman Ray Walter. On November 3rd 2015, Poloncarz won re-election with 65% of the vote.

Second Term 2016-2019

Early in his second term, Poloncarz was named to the joint National Association of Counties and National League of Cities national task force addressing heroin and opioid abuse in March of 2016. Later that same year, the task force issued its comprehensive report, "A Prescription for Action: Local Leadership in Ending the Opioid Crisis."

Poloncarz's second term also sought to address issues like fair housing, consumer protection, climate change, protections for LGBTQ minors, and reform of the Erie County Ethic laws.

Poloncarz, a son of a former Bethlehem Steel worker, made it a goal of his administration to revitalize the decades vacant facility. In 2017, Erie County acquired 150 acres of what would eventually become the 250 acre Renaissance Commerce Park.

In 2019, Poloncarz announced an initiative to provide high speed internet access to every town, city, and village in Erie County. The program, known as ErieNet, was one the first comprehensive publicly owned high speed fiber networks in the United States. Additionally, he announced a new health and human services plan called Live Well Erie to improve the health and wellness of children, working families, and seniors.

In September of 2019, Poloncarz published his first book Beyond the X's and O's: Keeping the Bills in Buffalo through SUNY Press. The book detailed the negotiations and discussions that led to the 2013 ten year lease extension between Erie County, the State of New York and the Buffalo Bills.

Poloncarz announced he would seek a third term as county executive in February 2019. Shortly thereafter, Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon, an Independence Party member announced she would challenge Poloncarz on the Republican line.

On November 5th, 2019 Poloncarz became only the second Erie County Executive to win a third term when he defeated Dixon.

Third Term 2020-2023

Early in his third term, the global COVID-19 Pandemic hit Erie County and became the administration's primary focus.

On March 15th, 2020, in response to the Covid 19 pandemic, Poloncarz declared a state of emergency and implemented a number of actions to reduce the spread. It lasted almost two years until Poloncarz rescidended the state of emergency on March 5th, 2022. At the height of the pandemic, Poloncarz implemented a series of measures that closely aligned with the New York state government response to the COVID-19 pandemic guidelines. At various times, Poloncarz and his health department were criticized for what was referred to as an overly aggressive approach.

As part of the county vaccination rollout, Poloncarz gained national attention for his “shot and a chaser” campaign, which provided drink coupons to individuals who received the Covid vaccine. Poloncarz was featured on the Daily Show with Treavor Noah.

Following the end of the State of Emergency, The Buffalo News noted, “for the attention and professionalism he brought to an impossible task, Poloncarz has earned the thanks of his constituents.”

On March 28th, 2022, New York State, Erie County, and the Buffalo Bills announced that a deal had been reached to build a new stadium for the team that included a 30-year “ironclad” lease. As part of the agreement, Poloncarz committed on behalf of Erie County $250 million toward the construction of what was expected to be a $1.4 billion stadium. As part of the deal, Poloncarz also negotiated what became a more than $100 million community benefits agreement.

County Executive Poloncarz was the first to publicly announce an active shooting event at the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue during the 2022 Buffalo shooting. As part of the response, Poloncarz directed the Erie County Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity to support community members affected by the shooting.

In November 2022, significant portions of Erie County were hit with a snowstorm that dumped up to 81 inches of snow in less than 48 hours. Erie County’s response, led by Poloncarz, was commended for its efficiency in reopening the community in the storm's aftermath.

Fourth Term 2024-present

In November of 2023, Poloncarz made history by being the only Erie County Executive elected to serve a fourth term.