BUFFALO, N.Y. – Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz today announced his candidacy for re-election directly to the people of Erie County through a video on the Internet. This is the first time that any local elected official has launched his or her candidacy by using the Internet to talk directly to the voters. The video can be viewed at http://www.markpoloncarz.com or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR3X8Ll6tyw.

In noting the accomplishments of his first term and how he has revitalized the comptroller’s office, turning it into the taxpayer’s independent watchdog, Poloncarz said, “I am proud to announce that in less than four years I have helped to restore fiscal discipline and accountability to Erie County government.”

Some of the accomplishments noted by Poloncarz include:

• The county has ended every year he has been in office with not only balanced budgets, but surpluses.


• The county’s fund balance has improved from $5 million when he took office to $57 million.


• In September 2008, when the control board failed to borrow $75 million for the County, he stepped in with his back-up plan and closed the loan in less than 48 hours at a low interest rate.


• The County has obtained credit rating upgrades from every credit rating agency.


• He has revitalized the office’s audit division, truly making it the taxpayers’ watchdog by conducting more than 30 audits and major reviews that have identified millions of dollars of savings.


• His Audit of the Erie County Holding Center was given an award by the Association of Local Government Auditors, the first time that any municipality in New York State has won such an award.


• He created the county’s “Whistleblower Hotlines” which gives the public the opportunity to anonymously report possible waste, fraud or abuse of county tax dollars. Reports submitted to the Hotline have led to action by Poloncarz’s auditors, including catching and stopping county employees engaging in fraud and abuse.

Poloncarz stated, “My office has been open and fully transparent. I watch over your tax dollars as if they were my own. As your watchdog I have a responsibility to ensure that Erie County is run as efficiently as possible and that proper procedures are followed regardless of whom they are applied against.”

In noting that some in county government do not appreciate his independent nature, and that they would rather see him replaced by a comptroller who would be a rubber stamp for the county executive’s policies, Poloncarz said, “I am running for reelection as your Comptroller because I do not want to see our hard fought gains lost at the hands of those who do not believe in the value of checks and balances in government.”

Poloncarz will appear at a meeting of the Erie County Democratic Committee’s Executive Committee this evening, where he has requested and expects to receive the Democratic Party’s endorsement for re-election.

For more information about his campaign, please visit www.markpoloncarz.com.