By Harold McNeil
Erie County Democrats on Tuesday announced endorsements for Erie County executive and Family Court races.
County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz and acting Family Court Judge Sharon LoVallo joined County Democratic Committee Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan and a small cadre of committeemen from the party for the announced endorsement in Ellicott Square, 295 Main St.
“I think he’s a person whose time has come,” Lenihan said of Poloncarz’s backing by the party.
“He, probably more than anyone, including [current County Executive] Chris Collins, understands the operations of county government,” Lenihan added.
The two-term comptroller announced his candidacy for the county executive’s office May 5.
“I’m running because of the failed administration of Chris Collins,” said Poloncarz, who insisted that he bears Collins no personal animus.
“If any county executive, including a Democrat, had the record that Chris Collins had, I’d be running against him, too,” Poloncarz added.
An attorney in private practice before he was first elected county comptroller in 2005, Poloncarz has had several stormy battles with Collins.
And, for all of Collins’ claims to cut expenses and run county government more like a business, Poloncarz said the county executive still raised taxes.
“He cut services, like librarians, rodent control officers, probation officers [and] sheriff’s deputies. He said he couldn’t find the money for that, but at the same time he did that, he created a new $130,000-a-year job that he controls, which the control board said we don’t need anymore,” said Poloncarz, in reference to Michelle A. Mazzone, who served as the county executive’s director of real estate and asset management.
Collins, through his spokesman, Grant Loomis, defended his record.
“The county executive looks forward to running on his administration’s strong record of achievement on behalf of Erie County’s hardworking taxpayers,” he said.
“Mr. Poloncarz is on the wrong side of taxpayers and supports more spending, more government and more taxes,” said Collins.
Poloncarz said he has identified more than $27 million in annual cost savings that Collins could have pursued, himself, if he were willing.
“I’ll take the same mechanism that I’ve done of creating better, more efficient government in the comptroller’s office and spread that throughout the entire county. After being in the trenches for over 5 years now, I know what the problems are in Erie County. I know how to fix the problems that exist,” said Poloncarz.
While Democrats were putting their best face on their endorsement of Poloncarz, questions still surround whether other factions in the party will unite behind his candidacy. Deputy Mayor Steven M. Casey, political point man for Mayor Byron W. Brown, said the City Hall faction of the party is, as yet, uncommitted.
LoVallo, who began her legal career in 1993 as an attorney at Goldman, Costa, Getman & Biryla, has also worked as an assistant district attorney and was elected as a Buffalo City Court judge in 2002. Lo- Vallo was named acting county court judge in 2004 and was assigned to Family Court in 2007.