By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Erie County officials updated lawmakers Thursday on the status of the four year plan. And there are some early signs of trouble ahead for 2007.
Officials say a projected $50 million gap is looming. And less than half the savings needed to close it are on track. James Hartman, the county's director of Management Initiatives, says some of the initiative savings are in place, or soon will be. But he says there are still two big holes. For starters, Hartman says there is no relief in sight for the money lost from revenue sharing in the nearly completed state budget.
"At the moment we have no agreement on anything that would fill this $12.5 million hole," said Hartman.
Hartman and other officials say they are calling on Assembly Majority Leader Paul Tokasz to make good on promises for some relief. However, even with that, officials say there's another $14 million hole. Labor concessions have not yet materialized. And both sides say there is little to no progress. John Orlando is President of AFSME Local 1095. He says they've already given back.
"The people who were laid off from Erie County were rank and file union people who worked at the very end of the totem pole," said Orlando. "I think before you see any union movement in any direction there had better be a house cleaning in management in Erie County."
Republican lawmaker John Mills says he'd favor that if adequate savings are not found by June.
"There's too many things that are up in the air. I want to see the check from the state, let us see how much money we're talking about here, or let's just go on and plan on gutting this government on June 1," said Mills. "And, I'll take the heat in my district, because our taxpayers do not want to see another tax increase."
However, legislative leaders are calling for a reasoned and focused approach to finding the savings needed for 2007.