By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority Tuesday night formally accepted the County Executive's revised 2006 budget and four year plan. Then the control board quickly increased its own spending.
Board members didn't particularly like the idea of extending the half penny sales tax. But they say the budget is balanced as long as cost savings initiatives come through. The Governor's budget Tuesday called for $18 million to help implement those savings. And the control board is losing no time spending the money. Vice Chair David Campbell says they've already interviewed five candidates to head the Office of Management and Productivity. He says its needed.
"There is no duplicity of service," said Campbell. "These people are going to be working in concert. and if we need another person to get things done in a timely fashion, then we would approach it from that standpoint."
$400,000 is earmarked for the office, with the remainder for grants and reforms. But Legislature Chairwoman Lynn Marinelli believes the money is being spent before its in the bank.
"Maybe they know something from talking to state leaders, since a lot of them represent different state appointing entities, that this would be a hold-harmless area, and that there wouldn't be any dilemmas," said Marinelli. "And we hope not, because we can use whatever we can get."
Campbell says they already have plenty of work to do. He says that projected DMV revenues, the 9-1-1 surcharge, and the possibility of savings through retiree attrition all need to be tracked. Marinelli says, with others also doing that job, she just wants to know who will be the go-to person.
"Can someone just make a simple flowchart and tell us what the responsibilities are and who line relates," said Marinelli. "I want someone to be held accountable."
And there could be two more legal firms keeping track for the control board. Attorney Gregg Stamm says they should appoint firms to handle bonding and corporate matters.
"These are people you would need in dire emergencies if the County government falls or fails," said Stamm. "There's no indication that's going to happen."
Still, the control board allowed for those and other contingencies in its more than $1.4 million budget approved Tuesday night.
One possible emergency on the near horizon is the possibility of the county having to share the eighth penny of sales tax with municipalities beginning next year. Some state lawmakers are making that a condition of the annual extension. The County Legislature takes up the matter at its session on Thursday.