By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority Monday received some good news and some bad news from a long-awaited space efficiency study.
More than sixty percent of the space currently leased by the county could be moved into rent-free, county-owned offices. That would save millions over the long run. But in the short run, it would cost a staggering seventy-four million dollars to rehab those current empty spaces.
Experts say moving the auto bureau to the Rath building first is most logical. The bureau's current lease is up this spring. Officials estimate the cost to rehab and relocate the auto bureau is roughly one million dollars. But Interim Control Board chairman Bob Glazer said it can not be looked at in isolation.
The news comes when the county and the control board are still trying to hammer out a deal for 2007 capital borrowing. Board member Ken Kruly said they are close to negotiating a compromise deal. But he said they do not expect it to happen now until next year.
And that means 2007 and 2008 capital borrowing would be merged together. Even without rehabbing office space, that puts estimated borrowing over one hundred ten million dollars. Kruly said this is not what the Control Board had in mind when it talked about the need for a "debt diet."
The highly anticipated space study was funded through a $250,000 efficiency grant. It was one of the only ones approved by the Control Board. County Clerk Kathy Hochul is requesting one for the auto bureau move. Board member Joseph Goodell oversees grant applications. He said, it is possible.
Meanwhile the control board withheld contract approval on some printer purchases, but approved contracts for sheriff's car purchases, radios and the library system.
The board also approved its own budget for 2008. But the legislature cut $50,000 from the $764 thousand budget. The Board said the legislature can not do that with a state sanctioned agency. Board members said they will get the Board's money, and the legislature will simply have a problem with its own budget.
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