A backroom fight over the budget for Erie Community College is turning into a major public fight between two of the area's most visible public figures, County Executive Mark Poloncarz and college president Jack Quinn.
College finances are shaky enough that the county executive yesterday referred to it as a potential red-green situation, a reference to the county budget which led to the Control Board controlling county finances.
"You cannot put this shortfall on the backs of the students by increasing tuition. You cannot continue to use your fund balance to plug these holes," said Poloncarz.
The college budget is due to be delivered May 10 as the ECC faces rising costs and and dropping enrollment.
"They have not addressed the systemic problems that exist in ECC for some time," Poloncarz asserted
In response, Quinn says the board is working hard to resolve the budget but admits raising tuition would be a problem.
"Right now, it (tuition) is less than $2,500 a semester. We believe we're a very good bargain, quality education for a very good price," Quinn said.
"But, we're also cognizant, the trustees are, that we can't just continue to increase tuition and increase tuition, time and time again."
Because of the problems, Poloncarz appointed Deputy Budget Director Timothy Callan to the college board, a man who moonlights as a college teacher using his political science doctorate.
