By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Comptroller Mark Polonacarz Thursday blasted the sheriff, the county executive, and the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority for wasting roughly $10 million of taxpayer money. The details were in a new audit of jail operations released by the comptroller.
The correctional facility in Alden was the target of the comptroller's latest audit. And there were some fiscal management problems found there. But Polocarz was more concerned about continued overtime at the holding center.
While the correctional facility has overtime under control, Poloncarsz said overtime at the holding center runs a staggering seven million dollars each year. Poloncarz said that is after an audit earlier this year calling for a drastic overhaul.
His remarks set off an instant blame game - with officials jumping to defend themselves.
Sheriff Timothy Howard vigorously disagrees that he has done nothing. In fact, he said that he reported to the legislature that his overtime costs are running under budget this year.
Howard said the legislature has also approved 22 new deputies who will soon help to further reduce overtime.
He says the actual audit bears out details omitted by the comptroller at his press conference. And Howard said some of the recommendations would likely not yield the savings projected.
According to Howard, that includes indicated savings or revenue from phone, medical, commissary and laundry services.
He said the real long-term solution is lowering the number of inmates.
Budget Director James Hartman said alternatives to incarceration for some criminals is one answer. But he said that is a tough sell.
Hartman said a UB study will be released soon that could help them implement the program. But that would not solve one overpopulation problem that everyone agrees is a major burden on taxpayers - housing state inmates.
That runs the county about four million a year over re-imbursements.
Officials said that is a problem that ca not be solved locally. Still, according to the comptroller, one problem that could be tackled is the underfunded cell block agreement with the city. Polancarz says the Sheriff failed to go after a better deal.
Howard said it wasn't his deal to renegotiate. He said he was told it was the responsibility of the county executive.
County Executive Joel Giambra was unavailable for comment Thursday. However, he issued a statement blaming the control board.
He charged politics is playing a role in the control board's inaction on re-engineering the sheriff's department. Control Board Chairman Anthony Baynes' son, Anthony Baynes Jr., ran Sheriff Howard's re-election campaign.
Giambra said the ccontrol board should use efficiency grants to improve efficiencies in the department.
Poloncarz agrees.
He said the control board has not made re-engineering of the department a priority.
But Control Board Chair Anthony Baynes said the problems have been around a lot longer than the control board. He throws blame back on the legislature for failing to act on the problem for the past ten years.
But when all the finger pointing is done, ultimately, only one person will have to answer to findings and recommendations in the comptroller's latest audit. The comptroller has requested that the Sheriff submit a written response to his office, to the budget director, to the county executive, and to the legislature and the control board by August 10.
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