(Buffalo, NY, February 29, 2008) - - No one investigates like News 4's Luke Moretti. Luke brings us the latest on the Erie County sheriff's effort to get more staff for the holding center, a place where plenty of employees draw over 100,000 dollars a year in pay.

Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard (R): "Hiring is to increase the size of the workforce not just to replace people."

Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard says hiring alone will not reduce overtime costs at the holding center.

Sheriff Tim Howard: "If we don't keep hiring people, we don't have any new people to step up when someone else retires."

Employee strength constantly changes, and the state mandates minimum staffing levels. This year, fifty new jail management jobs have been approved. But will that ease the overtime burden?

Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz (D): "You're not really eliminating it. You're just switching it. You're eliminating over two million dollars in overtime by creating two million dollars worth of new jobs. How's that saving money in the long run?"

Sheriff Howard: "Is there any benefit of having 50 more jobs in Erie county and saving 70 thousand dollars. Is that a benefit to the Erie County community? If he wants to call that a wash I doubt he's going to be speaking up that we need more jobs in Erie County."

Comptroller Mark Poloncarz favors hiring a limited number of new deputies and splitting the work load evenly. He wonders about the benefit of adding nearly fifty more jobs

Mark Poloncarz: "In some ways we think they may have even gone overboard in the amount of individuals that they're planning on hiring."

"In the long run, it may be more costly because as the fringe benefits increase, the salaries increase we now have more employees on the payroll."

Sheriff Howard:"We've said all along if we don't keep hiring people, we don't have any new people to step up when someone else retires. But even as we continue to hire people continue to retire."

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(Buffalo, NY, February 28, 2008) - - No one investigates like News 4. Erie County is hiring more Sheriff's Deputies to cut down on the hefty cost of overtime at the Erie County Holding Center. Investigative Reporter Luke Moretti first told you about this story earlier this month and tonight he has an update.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office has the green light to add nearly 50 new jail management employees at the holding center. But does it mean saving taxpayer money in the long run? Here's the way Comptroller Mark Poloncarz sees it.

Mark Poloncarz, D-Erie County Comptroller, "You're not really eliminating it. You're just switching it. You're eliminating over 2 million dollars in overtime by creating 2 million dollars worth of new jobs. How's that saving money in the long run?"

Sheriff Tim Howard has a slightly different view.

Tim Howard, R-Erie County Sheriff, "Is there any benefit of having 50 more jobs in Erie County and saving 70 thousand dollars. Is that a benefit to the Erie County community? If he wants to call that a wash I doubt he's going to be speaking up that we need more jobs in Erie County."

Both men agree that there will always be a need for overtime at the holding center. Finding the right blend of ingredients to hold the line is where they differ. For example, the Comptroller suggests hiring a limited number of new deputies and splitting the work load evenly.

Mark Poloncarz, D-Erie County Comptroller, "In some ways we think they may have even gone overboard in the amount of individuals that they're planning on hiring. In the long run it may be more costly because as the fringe benefits increase, the salaries increase we now have more employees on the payroll."

Employee strength at the holding center is constantly changing. Sheriff Howard says just hiring more people guarantees nothing.

Tim Howard, R-Erie County Sheriff, "It didn't matter that we hired more people. What mattered was how many people are actually working. So hiring more and losing more. You got no net gain, you're not going to get any results. If we don't keep hiring people we don't have any new people to step up when someone else retires."

Sheriff Howard believes the county must do a better job of keeping pace with turnover at the holding center. We'd like to know what you think? Is there a better way to keep overtime costs down?

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