BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County executive is taking on his critics who say he has too much emergency power over the massive amounts of money the county is expected to receive in COVID-19 relief.
Mark Poloncarz says that such assertions are simply not true.
It All Began a Year Ago
In the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold, the Erie County Legislature granted County Executive Mark Poloncarz additional powers beyond what is ordinarily granted to him during a state of emergency.
“These were powers granted by the Legislature,” said Legislator Joseph Lorigo (C-10th District). ”It had nothing to do with his powers granted under the state’s executive law."
In particular, the legislature gave Poloncarz the authority to enter into contracts and spend money without the normal legislative approval.
This, according to Lorigo, was done so that the county could move swiftly to combat the pandemic and give Poloncarz, who would be unencumbered by the normal legislative process, the ability to swiftly acquire items such as PPE and other pandemic fighting supplies.
“Nobody had ever dealt with a pandemic before, so we decided to put politics aside and give the county executive the tools he needed to respond, react and fight this as quickly as possible,” said Lorigo.
One year later, while COVID-19 is still of concern, the unknowns regarding how to combat it have decreased, and Lorigo and the minority republican caucus in the Legislature say Poloncarz’s powers need to be whittled back.
“We’re about to get $178 million in Covid money (under the latest federal COVID relief act),” said Lorigo. “The county executive should not have sole authority over how $178 million in taxpayer money is spent. That’s money that’s going to come in for COVID relief, economic relief, and development for infrastructure repair, and the legislature needs a seat at the table to determine how that money is spent.”
Poloncarz: Legislators Do Have Oversight
When asked on Tuesday whether he should have “sole authority” over the money, Poloncarz insisted that he does not.
“Previously I had unlimited carte blanche power… I will not deny that," Poloncarz said.
However, he was quick to note that his ability to spend without legislative authorization is now capped at $250,000 per contract.
“And almost everything with regard to the new American Rescue Plan is going to go over to the legislature for their approval because it’s going to be $250,000 or more... so it’s not like we don’t have checks and balances. The checks and balances exist," Poloncarz said.
Battle Brewing?
"There's a very vocal minority in the legislature who like to cry about a lot of stuff,” said Poloncarz, who called concerns about him having too much power a "red herring."
Lorigo, whose recent measure to further curtail the County Executive’s spending powers was tabled by majority legislators who - like Poloncarz - are democrats, said it’s not about crying, but about restoring a representative government.
"I think we’re getting to the point where some of my colleagues across the aisle might be willing to vote on a similar resolution soon," Lorigo said. “We are the direct representatives of people through eleven separate districts in Erie County. Those people deserve their voices to be heard."
For more information regarding the county’s COVID related expenses, the County Comptroller’s office keeps an updated “Covid Checkbook” which tracks those expenses.