WGRZ NBC-2

Candidates Respond To Four-Year Plan

Candidates for the Erie County offices of Sheriff and Comptroller supported and attacked the four-year plan approved Friday by the Erie County Legislature.

Democrat Mark Poloncarz, who is running for Erie County Comptroller, said the Democratic majority that approved the plan did the right thing by avoiding deficit financing, opting instead to raise the sales tax with a smaller property tax increase than proposed by Erie County Executive Joel Giambra(R).

"If the Republicans are not part of the solution, as we saw yesterday, then they become part of the problem," Poloncarz said.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate for Comptroller, John Canavan, chided the Democrats who approved the plan for raising taxes without cutting more spending.

"The legislature did a typical tax and spend policy," Canavan said, saying if elected as Comptroller, he would institute needed controls over payroll and sick time and reduce redundancies in programs such as Social Services.

While the candidates for Erie County Sheriff continue to exchange jabs, they both are critical of the legislature's plan to phase in fees to towns and villages for Sheriff's road patrols, starting in 2007. Giambra proposed they begin in 2006.

"Having police services and the protection of talented, dedicated law enforcement professionals is not a luxury, it is a right," said Democrat Charlie Fieramusca, candidate for Erie County Sheriff.

Sheriff Tim Howard(R) said he has also been fighting the plan to charge towns for the patrols, asking the Giambra administration and the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority to chart exactly how much those taxpayers are contributing for the service. He said they refused his request, and accused the administration of "throwing that 20% of Erie County's population to the wolves."