Joe Schember – Building a Legacy

NEXT with Marcus Atkinson

In this episode Chuck Cammarata chats with Mayor Joe Schember, running for a third term and a chance to extend his legacy of hope and service. When Joe originally ran for mayor he made it known that he wanted to rid the city of racism and make Erie a more welcoming city. He also inherited a city that was deeply in debt, had a significant urban blight problem, and a self esteem deficit.

In his seven years as mayor the city has, among other things, been able to gain the designation of “Welcoming City”, which is a title awarded to by the Welcoming America network base on a number of criteria, created budget surpluses, procured millions of dollars in grant money, which has enabled them to avoid raising taxes for the past 6 years, has sponsored programs that have connected 120 law enforcement officers to local schools working with 1,600 students, and more. He is hoping to be granted the privilege of leading the city for 4 more years to continue putting in place programs that will further improve life for Erie residents.

Give a listen as Joe and his chief of Staff, Renee Lamis, talk about accomplishments and plans for the future. You can contact Joe at cityof.erie.pa.us or at joeschember.com