By Eileen Buckley and Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Executive Joel Giambra -- who has often stated "no hand out, no bail out" for the City of Buffalo -- says he's now asking the state to come to the aid of the county.
Giambra says he has been talking to leaders in Albany on daily basis, seeking help with the county's budget crisis. He says he would like to see the state provide some form of financial assistance to deal with the state mandates for Medicaid and rising pension costs.
Giambra continues to blame unfunded state mandates for the county's fiscal mess.
"Albany just doesn't seem to care about the taxpayer," Giambra said. "They only care about the special interests."
But some state lawmakers say it is mismanagement that has created the county's spending dilemma. And the last time Giambra asked the state to assist by taking over revenues shared with the NFTA, Giambra said he received a flat out no.
Giambra says he has also asked the State Comptroller's office to complete its audit of county spending by June 1st. He says that's when the County Legislature must decide how to trim another $14 million before the county begins to borrow again.
"June is really where the rubber meets the road," Giambra said. "The County Comptroller will have to go out and borrow money. I think Wall Street is going to want to know what the game plan is before we borrow $60 or $70 million. I think Wall Street will want to have some indication that we know what we are doing."
Giambra says he holds daily talks with County Legislature Chairman George Holt. But he says, so far, there is no willingness from lawmakers to approve a plan for additional cuts or a commitment to raise the sales tax to generate new revenue.
Meanwhile, County Comptroller Nancy Naples is proposing a long-term fiscal reform plan. She's calling on the County Legislature to begin taking the necessary steps to restore the county's fiscal health. Naples is calling for an immediate hiring freeze. Longer term, she says, legislators need to examine how some services are delivered.
"I think one initiative is to take a look at the Social Services Department, to determine what is exactly mandated and what is not," Naples said. "Then, we'll make some decisions -- not easy decisions -- on what the county can afford to do outside of those mandated programs."
Naples said lawmakers can't afford to wait for the State Comptroller's report on county finances. She said raising taxes and cutting services is not the answer to the county's problems.