Poloncarz unveils 'tight' Erie County budget proposal

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s 2016 spending plan adds a net of 22 employees and holds property tax rates steady to come in under the state’s property tax cap.

Poloncarz, who announced some highlights of his proposed plan during Wednesday’s debate with his Republican challenger, Assemblyman Ray Walter, offered more details of his proposed budget during a session with reporters in his county offices Thursday morning.

Poloncarz repeatedly characterized his plan as “tight,” which he attributed to several factors, particularly the 2012 state property tax cap championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The tax cap restrictions gave the Poloncarz administration little wiggle room on increasing spending in some areas they would have liked to – road projects, social services – but his staff was able to commit to other increases while still coming in under the bar set by the state law, he said. Although the property tax rate is unchanged, the county tax levy is still rising due to increased values, some of it tied to new developments.

“One thing we have to do is live within our means,” Poloncarz said. “We can’t just budget wildly and spend money that we don’t have.”

The $1.6 billion spending proposal for the county would see slight increases for county libraries and cultural institutions, $2.5 million more for road projects and a slight raise in county support for Erie Community College, bringing that total to $16 million.

The county has also been borrowing more money since its bond rating was upgraded this summer, and officials plan to continue taking advantage of the low interest rates the new rating affords in 2016.

With $53 million set for capital projects next year, $35 million of that would be borrowed funds under Poloncarz’s proposed budget.

The spending plan, which is largely unchanged from the budget adopted in 2015, will now be sent on to the county legislature, which can add amendments before the adoption vote in December.

Poloncarz said that the stability in the budget is a reflection of his steady-handed management style, far different from the mid 2000’s when over spending and campaigning on spending plans led to the fiscal disaster and the control board that remains in place today.

“I don’t anticipate there being a big fight with the legislature on this,” Poloncarz said.