By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The issue of pay raises for top elected officials in Erie County is not yet dead. County Executive Joel Giambra says he plans to discuss the matter with Legislature Chairman George Holt in coming days.
Without discussion, the county Legislature's Budget and Finance Committee last week killed recommendations by the Citizens Salary Review Commission to raise the salaries of top elected leaders by as much as 50 percent. In separate interviews, both Giambra and Holt expressed a willingness to further discuss the pay raise issue. But Giambra said, for now, it's up to the Legislature.
"Chairman Holt and I will be talking about many issues. I suspect this will be one of them," Giambra said. "But the Legislature is going to decide what it wants to do. The ball is in their court. I look forward to them making a decision.
"The (budget and finance) committee made its decision. Now we'll have to see what the full Legislature will do."
Holt tells WBFO News he welcomes a meeting with Giambra to discuss pay raises for the county executive, county clerk, sheriff, comptroller and legislators. They haven't had a wage hike in eight years.
While the recommendations of the salary review commission have been roundly criticized, Holt says there must be a way to make sure elected leaders are fairly compensated.
"We need to look at a system and a process of how we can do a better job in providing necessary raises based on cost of living or any other formula," Holt said.
Holt agrees the salary issue is not dead. But he's not saying they'll be approved. Holt said the next step is to hold a public hearing on the issue sometime in April.