By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Many Erie County officials spent the weekend trying to deal with the budget crisis. Department heads are examining what programs need to be cut.
Two hundred layoff notices were already issued. Another 1,800 hundred are expected to be distributed, possibly by Tuesday.
Lawsuits against the massive budget cuts will also return to court this week. Ten have been filed.
State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Makowski is expected to hear more arguments from suits filed by the District Attorney, Clerk, Comptroller and unions. A lawsuit filed by ECMC is expected to be heard on Wednesday.
Area cultural organizations expected all county funding to be cut. But cultural leaders have learned that $2.8 million will still be provided. That's down from the full cultural allocation of $5.3 million. That has forced some groups, like the Buffalo Zoo to begin its own reductions.