BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson has decided to give up the seat that he was appointed to in 2019, representing the first district.
"This was not an abrupt decision. It was an opportunity to take on a new role," he said in a one-on-one interview with Two On Your Side's Claudine Ewing.
Starting Monday, Howard Johnson will start his new position as Deputy Commissioner at the Erie County Board of Elections. The democrat will replace the retiring Arthur Eve Jr. "There was an opportunity that presented itself that I couldn't turn down and the position was offered to me and they wanted to fill that seat immediately. "
Howard is well aware that he is not fulfilling the term that voters elected him for, but he says "They'll see me a lot more now because you know what I want to do with this position is ensure that the the black vote. Is heard in a mighty way. It's an opportunity to take the black vote and bring it out more than it has been in quite some time. Yes, I serve all of Erie County voters, all Erie county taxpayers, but I serve the first legislative district as the legislator and what I seen was, you know, the votes were sometimes down. It's an opportunity for me to take what I've learned and serving the community and get the vote out in a bigger way now."
Howard says he was approached about the job and the conversation to take it has been ongoing for about a month.
Johnson will see his salary jump from about $44,000 to over $100,000 and he said they are still negotiating.
The Erie County Democratic committee will appoint a person to fill the seat representing District One. There will be an election in November to fill the remainder of his two-year term.