The Erie County Legislature is being asked to approve a request from the Poloncarz administration for additional money for road and bridge repairs.Lawmakers approved $21.1 million in the 2015 Erie County Budget. The County Executive's office, since then, has requested an additional $8.3 million in funds for additional repair projects.
They would include: Amsdell Road (Hamburg), Fisher Road (West Seneca), Langer Road (West Seneca), George Urban Boulevard (Cheektowaga), Goodrich Road (Clarence), Colvin Boulevard (Tonawanda) and on the Evans Shoreline Trail, Elmwood Avenue Pedestrian Project (Tonawanda), Tonawanda Rails to Trails, Kenmore Avenue Railroad Viaduct (Tonawanda), Girdle Road Bridge (Elma) and Scoby Dam USACE Project (Concord).
Lawmakers will take on the request in a special session next week.
"It's very important that the Legislature act as soon as possible," said Poloncarz's deputy budget director Dr. Timothy Callan. "Without a vote on this resolution as soon as possible, we can't start bidding out highway projects this spring. We intend to start doing bids in the next couple of weeks."
But lawmakers attending an informational session Thursday morning had plenty of questions for Dr. Callan, including whether road projects slated for funding would be completed this year.
"I wanted to know specifics on timelines, specifically on Girdle Road Bridge in Elma," said Legislature majority leader Joseph Lorigo, who led the session. "That was a project I was told was going to be completed, and then I was hearing it may not get completed in 2015. I asked those questions. I received those answers. I may not be happy with the answer because it may still not get taken care of in 2015 but at least it's going to get started."
"We welcome legislative scrutiny. That's the process of checks and balances in government," said Callan. "I think we had a productive discussion today, informing the legislators about the specific roads, the dollar values, the sources of funds. I think we had a satisfactory to most of their questions. I certainly leave here thinking we answered everything they put to us, and hopefully they'll be able to move in an expeditious fashion so we can both get the bids out and start doing work and hiring local contractors."
