Legislator, District 5· 2026-01-01–2026-12-31 (one-year term: legislators elected in 2025 serve one year under the state even-year election law per Post-Journal October 2025; all 19 seats are on the November 3, 2026 ballot per WRFA; term begins January 1, 2026 per N.Y. Public Officers Law § 4, 1 and ends December 31, 2026; predecessor terms expired 12/31/2025 per Chautauqua County Board of Elections 'Offices Up for Election 2025'; winners per BOE GE25 Winner's List; start shown is the current-term start)
Jason Merritt
Chautauqua County
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 3
- Total speaking time
- 0:43
- Avg per meeting
- 0:14
- Segments
- 18
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Top issues during term (20)
2027 County Budget and Fund Balance Strategy
Involves the drawdown of reserve fund balances and multi-million dollar adjustments across county operating funds.
Management Benefit Plan and Retirement Health Insurance
Range adjustments do not directly increase salaries or total departmental budgets, leaving actual pay decisions within approved departmental spending limits.
CDBG Microenterprise Assistance Program
Leveraged $82 million in external grant funding for local projects.
Probation Department Peace Officer Retirement Plans
Budget-neutral for the county this year and for the next two years, offset by state grants and savings from unfulfilled part-time positions.
Digital Evidence Storage and Software Costs
Adds hundreds of thousands of dollars in recurring software and cloud hosting costs across county departments.
Emergency Housing and Homeless Shelter Expansion
Temporary housing costs reached $320,477 for the single month of August.
Landfill Leachate Hauling Logistics and Costs
Disposal costs in Buffalo are significantly higher per thousand gallons, and future state PFAS mandates could require major capital investments.
Safety Net Assistance Budget Shortfall
Projected budget shortfall approaching $4 million in safety net appropriations.
Criminal Procedure Law Section 7.30 Psychiatric Evaluations
Requires a $400,000 budget increase for 2026.
2027 Capital Projects and Funding
Involves balancing capital project requests against anticipated interest earnings and fund balance reserves.
Chautauqua Lake Sewer District Phase III Extension
Enhanced meter reading and customer reconciliation have increased district revenues and stabilized rates.
County Jail Nursing Shortages and Staffing Costs
Involves substantial annual expenditures of $800,000 to $900,000 primarily for specialized injectable medications.
Airport Capital Improvement Plans
Local shares include $4,150 for Taxiway B North and $11,223 for Runway 15-33.
Board of Elections Temporary Staffing and Election Costs
Temporary staffing costs fluctuate based on minimum wage and election type, with presidential election years requiring higher expenditures.
Senior Citizen Real Property Tax Exemption Threshold
Lowers taxable assessed values, potentially increasing tax rates or shifting tax burdens across local property owners.
Automated Flock Surveillance Cameras
Fully grant-funded with no local tax impact.
public health alert
Catching this early saves you from hefty medical bills and prevents a costly localized outbreak.
Town of Chautauqua Office Lease and Build-Out
Involves recurring lease costs and capital investments like the $600,000 Mayville facility build-out.
E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety and Education in High Schools
Zero additional financial impact, utilizing existing county PR staff and school resource officers.
County Employee Compensation and Workforce Retention
Allows department heads flexibility to adjust managerial salaries within existing departmental budgets.
Decisions during term (622)
Recorded while Merritt was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Approval of September 2026 Minutes
Amendment and Approval of Jamestown Airport Parking Lease with FedEx
Dunkirk Airport 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan
Jamestown Airport 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan
Portland Pomfret Dunkirk Sewer District Generator Budget Amendment
Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer District Grant Acceptance
Quit Claim Deeds Approval
Liability Insurance Budget Amendment
Probation Department Retirement Plans Authorization
Probation Retirement Plan Budget Amendment
Public Defender Office Lease Agreement with City of Jamestown
Verizon Wireless Tower Lease Renewal
Acceptance of Boat Lift Donations for Sheriff's Navigation Division
Mental Hygiene Safety Net Budget Amendment
Mental Hygiene Non-TA Residential Domestic Violence Services Budget Amendment
Mental Hygiene Mobile Crisis Team Grant Acceptance
Mental Hygiene Assisted Outpatient Treatment Grant Acceptance
Mental Hygiene Children's Single Point of Access Grant Acceptance
CDBG Microenterprise Assistance Program Application
2027 Tentative Budget Referral
Voting record (11)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Advance Tentative Budget to Full Legislature
Voted no because he felt the budget cuts and adjustments did not address the long-term structural deficit sufficiently.
Refer Local Law Intro. 13-26 Back to Committee
MOVED by Legislator Lewis, SECONDED by Legislator Bankoski to Amend by Increasing the Income Eligibility Limit for the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Partial Real Property Tax Exemption from $1,000 to $3,
Adopt Local Law Intro. 14-26 (Management Salary Plan)
Reject Amendment to Resolution 236-26 (Senior Tax Exemption)
Amend and Adopt Resolution 237-26 (Quit Claim Deeds)
MOVED by Legislator DeJoy, SECONDED by Legislator Whitney to Establish a Stakeholder Committee to Review 310-322 E Third Ventures, LLC Lease
MOVED by Legislator DeJoy, SECONDED by Legislator Whitney to Refer Resolution 202-26 Back to Committee
Amend 2026 Budget for County Law Department
Resolution 18-26 - Affordability Act of 2026
Voted against the Affordability Act.