The Erie County Control Board maintains it can save taxpayers one million dollars each year, for the next 20 years, if it does the borrowing for Erie County.
We don't make this stuff up," said Chairman Robert Glaser.
But, Erie County's Comptroller says those savings are greatly exaggerated. He says after the control board pays its staff, it's just a few thousand dollars.
Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Comptroller, says, "This has been going on for so long, some days I feel like I'm smacking my head against the wall."
Neither side can agree and one cannot borrow without the approval of the other, so it's deadlocked.
In the meantime, every capital project in Erie County is held up. Roads aren't being paved, Erie Community College fronted money so contractors there wouldn't walk off the job, even the Buffalo Bills weren't paid last year for maintenance fees for Ralph Wilson stadium.
The longer this goes on, the greater the possibility it is that some projects will lose state and federal funding that's already been secured.
"People see this ongoing bickering between the county and the control board, isn't part of your job as the county executive to come in and fix it?" asks Kristin Donnelly.
"It takes two parties, two people to fix something. We had an agreement with the control board and I stand by that agreement," says County Executive Chris Collins.
"If you're running the county like a business- this still looks to a lot of people like politics as usual?" Donnelly asks.
"No, what it is, is the obstructionists who have a special agenda. This is part of the special interest and the status quo I spoke about. I was elected to challenge that status quo, but there are those in this community who want to maintain it. The best indicator you have right now is the control board," Collins answers.
Donnelly continues, "So if they're not budging and your not budging, how does this get solved?"
"It's going to take, quite probably, action in Albany," he answers.
The Erie County legislature has asked the State Comptroller to step in and mediate. While a spokesman said he will consider the request, he released a statement saying essentially, both sides could work it out if they wanted to.
