By Joyce Kryszak
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Buffalo, NY – Erie County lawmakers are set to approve amendments Thursday that will fill a 2009 budget gap with $42 million dollars of federal stimulus money. County officials said the action will keep the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority at bay. But the control board is keeping a close eye.
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There actually will be a roughly two million dollar surplus, even with a roughly $34 million expected loss in sales tax revenue and other shortfalls. Budget Director Greg Gach told lawmakers at a finance committee meeting Wednesday that certainly doesn't fix the problem. But he said it will keep the Control Board from returning to hard control status - at least for now.
But the executive director for the Control Board and one of its members were listening. They reminded lawmakers that the bail-out money will run out next year. Board member Ken Kruly told them not to break out the champagne just yet, because the county has serious structural problems with its four-year plan.
He warned of a re-run of the 2005 budget crisis.
Kruly said lawmakers need to make cuts now, while they have time to make decisions calmly. Committee Chair Kathy Konst agrees. But she says where?
Mid-year budget hearings - where adjustments could start being made - begin in a couple weeks.