VOTING LOCAL: Dr. Tyler Titus: Making LGBTQ+ History in Erie County and Pennsylvania
r. Tyler Titus became the first openly trans-identifying person to win office in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2017, when they were elected to the Erie City School Board, the same year that Dr. Rachel Levine was appointed to serve as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health.
For the 2021 election cycle in Erie, Titus, who now serves as school board president, is once again running for elected office: this time as the Erie County Executive. This role would have a broader expanse for Erie than their work on the school board.
“The Erie County Executive manages all the services the county provides from the public libraries to the county health department to public safety. They oversee roughly 1200 employees and have a major role in determining the use of the significant $484 million budget,” Titus shared, explaining that during the COVID-19 pandemic the role has proved increasingly crucial. “In the next year, it’ll be just as critical, as they determine the use of the $275 million allotted to Erie County in the American Rescue Plan.”
Making sure the funds are allocated correctly and sustainably is going to be a chief demand should Titus win election. Erie, like many sections of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and neighboring states are described as part of the “rust belt.” These communities — which once were prosperous prior to the closure of mines and local manufacturing — have unique demographics, as they are part-urban and part-rural.
https://epgn.com/2021/04/13/dr-tyler-titus-making-lgbtq-history-in-erie-county-and-pennsylvania/?amp&__twitter_impression=true
