Erie County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz wants key officials in the administration of County Executive Joel A. Giambra to explain why some workers in the county's Home Energy Assistance Program served as ushers Thursday during Giambra's State of the County address.

The workers, whose salaries are covered by the federal government, should not have been told they would be paid as usual for time spent working at the speech, Poloncarz said.

"I cannot imagine that the federal government would look kindly upon Erie County employees working at such an event in any role outside of their normal duties of helping needy persons acquire home-energy assistance," Poloncarz wrote in a letter to Giambra, Social Services Commissioner Michael Weiner and Senior Services Commissioner Pamela Krawczyk.

A Giambra spokesman said the administration was looking into the matter, which involved only three or four workers. He said the practice of asking some county employees to work at the event has gone on for years.

Giambra spoke to a crowd of about 700 people in the Buffalo Convention Center.