By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Erie County lawmakers Tuesday adopted a one point four Billion dollar budget for 2008 that boosted funding in several departments and held the line on taxes. But not everyone is happy.
The Sheriff's department will get 51 new positions. Additional positions were also added in probation, the district attorneys and the comptrollers offices. But one of the biggest increases came to the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Funding was doubled to $2.6. But that's about a million short of the full bed tax allocation County Executive Joel Giambra proposed. And according to CVB President Richard Geiger, not enough to be truly competitive.
He said comparable cities, such as Cleveland and Pittsburgh, have marketing budgets closer to ten million dollars.
Giambra said the cut to the CVB is his one concern with the 2008 plan adopted by lawmakers.
Lawmakers cut one formerly, popular economic development tool. The Buffalo Niagara Film Commission was eliminated from the budget.
Film Commissioner Tim Clark called it a political "hit job." He said it was retaliation for his brother Paul's failed run for county executive. Clark said the $150,000 cut slams the door on Hollywood - and all its money. As example, he said Buffalo has probably lost the pending deal with "the Factory," a John Cusack film that was planning to film in Buffalo.
Lawmakers passed an amendment urging the CVB to pick up the tab for the Film Commission. But Geiger was doubtful the board would be able to justify taking money from its own tight budget.
But cultural organizations will have a bit of breathing room. Instead of only the big five arts organizations - forty groups will receive funding.
And the libraries will see a $1.6 million boost. Library Director Michael Mahaney said they will use the money first to extend hours at library branches where access was severely cut back following the 2004 budget crisis.
There were five lawmakers who opposed the budget, the Rublican minority along with Democratic legislators Michelle Ianello and Kathy Konst.
Minority Leader Michael Ranzenhoffer said the budget is still full of pork and patronage. He cited $90,000 earmarked for a legislative intern program. Ranzenhoffer said that does not demonstrate taxpayers' cries for efficiency.
The budget still must meet the approval of the Fiscal Stability Authority.
However, lawmakers point out that the 2007 budget, which the county has operated under for nearly a year, never received appproval from the ECFSA.
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