By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – It's budget season once again in Erie County. Despite deep fiscal troubles within county government, County Executive Joel Giambra unveiled his proposed 2006 spending plan Friday.
It totals just over $1 billion. Giambra says his budget mirrors the amended four-year fiscal recovery plan as approved by the County Legislature.
It calls for a 17 percent increase in property taxes and a half-cent hike in the sales tax. But Giambra warned today property taxes could increase by as much as 70 percent if the Legislature fails to find the ten votes to enact the higher sales tax and the fee increases included in the budget.
The proposed budget restores 341 jobs, many of them part-time. Giambra said all of the job restorations will contribute to the county's bottom line by generating new revenues. He cited as an example 50 jobs being restored in the County Clerk's office to open five satellite auto bureaus in various parts of the county.
The budget eliminates nearly all of the county's subsidy to the Erie County Medical Center. It provides $3.5 million for the six biggest cultural organizations in Buffalo, including $1.5 million for the Buffalo Zoo. And for now, the budget will keep sheriff's road patrols.
The budget now goes to the County Legislature which has a little more than seven weeks to finalize the plan.