By Joyce Kryszak and Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Erie County lawmakers flew through a full agenda Thursday for their last official legislative session. But it could be a long hot August of special sessions.
About one hundred more jobs were restored Thursday. Lawmakers say they were either refilled vacant positions or fully grant funded.
Two local laws were also approved. One calls for more minority and woman contracts. The other requires the County Executive to get legislative approval before hiring any outside consultants.
Both appear veto-proof. But the work is far from over.
Lawmakers must still draw up the four-year plan by the incoming county control board's September 15th deadline.
Democrat Al DeBenedetti said he has some reason to be optimistic.
"I'm at least pleased by the fact that contact was initiated with me by the County Executive, who indicated that he wants to start meeting as quickly as possible with legislators from both the Democratic party and the Republican party to start working toward building a consensus on a four-year plan," said DeBenedetti. "I think he understands the immediacy of the deadline, and the need to get to work on it right away."
But a lawmaker from County Executive Joel Giambra's own party is less impressed.
Republican Barry Weinstein said the last conversation he had with the County Executive was the unpleasant exchange in a parking garage.
Weinstein says Giambra has the next move.
"It's up to the Giambra Administration to draw up a four-year proposal and submit it to the legislature for approval," said Weinstein. "He still hasn't sent to the legislature is plans for refinancing the tobacco bonds - we're still waiting. He might have some good ideas that need to be considered. We still have no plan. This is the way he governs.
Lawmakers and the Administration must convince the incoming control board that they have put the so-called "toxic politics" behind them and stabilized county finances.
That could be a tall order given the continued disagreements over raising taxes and making more cuts. They have mere weeks to hash it all out with the first special special session not expected until August.
Meanwhile, Erie County will finally begin paying some of its vendors.
The County Comptroller's office is getting a much needed infusion of cash. Interim Comptroller James Hartman said they completed the selling of 80-million dollars in revenue anticipation notes.
He said this will allow the County to pay some of its bills.
"Our cash position was extremely low and almost exhausted. That is why we went to the markets with an $80 million, one-year short term issue. This will give us the cash to pay county some bills This amount will carry us to some time in the fall," said Hartman.
Hartman says he will now be able to release and issue about 24-million dollars in checks to vendors awaiting payment.