By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – New reports of a $100 million plus deficit have stalled a plan to re-open Erie County's nine parks in time for Memorial Day.
Lawmakers say even if the Comptroller's estimate is half right, it calls into question any plan to restore services. Marinelli suggests that another plan to re-open parks may be necessary, such as inter-municipal agreements.
But she says a plan to re-open one auto bureau by hiking one fee is looking more promising. County Clerk David Swarts says the plan would pay for itself plus make the county an additional $1 million. And he says there is a precedent for lawmakers to act.
"If 14 legislators could come together, a bi-partisan approach to open golf courses -- and I like golf -- and increase a fee to do that, it seems to me that this proposal should be adopted unanimously," said Swarts.
He says the only public outcry over the golf fee increase was a question of priorities. Marinelli says lawmakers are getting pressure from the public to open another auto bureau and may be ready to act on that soon. But she's not so sure about action on other matters -- particularly those that will be necessary to deal with the newest budget gap. Marinelli worries that the Legislature may truly be near the point of paralysis.
"What happens if you have a 15 member legislature and you don't have eight or more votes to cut anything further, or ten or more votes to do fees or taxes any further and there's no ability to act?" said Marinelli. "Now, I don't wish that to happen, but that is truly a concern -- about where to go from here?"
She adds that a control board may not even be an option, since the county has not yet reached its taxing threshhold.