By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Executive Joel Giambra says a deal was hammered out with the Erie County Medical Center over future subsidy, but now a judge will have to make a ruling.
The hospital is suing the County over the loss of $13 million in subsidies in next year's budget. Giambra says there was a settlement between the Giambra Administration and ECMC, but the County Legislature has not scheduled a special session to approve the deal.
Giambra says without blessing of lawmakers, a judge will render a decision. Giambra says the settlement would have seen the county providing some subsidy for at least the next couple of years.
"This was a fair deal, from my perspective, because it allowed for the county to continue to provide for some operating subsidy for the next two years, but very little after," Giambra said. "ECMC would have had to conduct negotiations with unions in order to sustain itself as a viable health provider in this community."
State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Makowski is expected to issue a ruling on December 30th.