December, 2007

Erie County's 2008 Budget Fails to Reduce Spending

As I sit and write this column on Friday, the 2008 Erie County Budget has not yet been approved; however, by the time you read this article on Wednesday the Legislature will have convened to meet the December 4th deadline and adopt a budget for 2008.

The Legislature has been busy over the last month with budget hearings -- meeting with department heads, community organizations and other elected countywide officials listening to their requests and concerns for consideration in the 2008 budget. As a member of the Budget Committee, and as I've analyzed the proposed 2008 County Executive's budget, and listened closely to residents of our community, I find that is has failed to reduce spending and implement the necessary reductions and efficiencies to bring financial stability to Erie County government.

On November 30th, my colleagues in the Minority and I introduced Phase I of a plan to amend the County Executive's proposed 2008 Budget with $17,000,508 in reductions by eliminating new jobs, eliminating other unnecessary positions and decreasing expenditures on office supplies, contracts and professional services. Our philosophy of less spending found no acceptance by the tax and spend Majority Legislature, who killed our budget amendments. Instead, the Majority introduced amendments which added pork, patronage and politics into the 2008 budget. They added $90,000 for new part-time patronage employees in the legislature, $310,000 for pork barrel spending such as the Feral Cats program, Meals on Wheels programs for Democrat legislators only, $100,000 for Vive Casa, and $140,000 for the African American Cultural Center –none of which was recommended by the Cultural Resources Advisory Board. Finally, the Majority removed over $1 million dollars from economic development and tourism promotion, with nearly $750,000 from the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Our budget recommendations also support the termination of the Inter-Municipal Cooperation Parks Agreement between the City of Buffalo and Erie County which would save the taxpayers $1.3 million. This agreement was never implemented as promised, and is not fair to the taxpayers of Erie County who live outside of the City of Buffalo. In addition, we recommended saving taxpayers' dollars by merging the Erie County Parks Department with the Department of Public Works, saving over $200,000 in salaries and benefits.

Our budget plan also includes common sense budget resolutions to run government utilizing business principles. One such resolution prohibits all Giambra Administration appointees from an immediate accrual of 4 weeks vacation credit on January 1, 2008, and instead would treat them like all other county employees who accrue vacation over the course of the year. Our proposal also supports the revocation of the "Apprenticeship Law" which requires that all contractors bidding on public jobs have a New York State Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program, which are no longer being offered in New York State.

The 2008 Budget is a working document that will be monitored, reviewed and adjusted throughout the year by the Legislature. The brash additions of pork, politics and patronage to the budget contributes to the decline of this community. I look forward to working with County Executive-elect Chris Collins to push for reduction, reform and re-engineering of county government and to reduce taxes for the taxpayers of Erie County. As always, if you have any comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 8203 Main Street – Suite 4, Williamsville, NY 14221, call my district office at 631-8695, or email me at ranzenhofer@erie.gov.

Best Wishes for a healthy holiday season and a happy New Year!

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