By Kyla Igoe
September 14, 2011
Buffalo, NY (WKBW) -With the November Elections just weeks away, the race for Erie County Executive is heating up. Incumbent Chris Collins will head off against Democrat Mark Poloncarz and both men have very different points of view on how the county should be operated. Incumbent Chris collins, the Republican County Executive for the last 4 years, says he wants to continue to keep Erie County moving in the right direction by cutting debt, creating a business climate where jobs can flourish, and hold the line on taxes and spending. He claims he has created hundreds of private sector jobs in four years and says Erie County has one of lowest unemployment rates of any county in New York.
“People know what we have accomplished. They remember the desperate straights the county was in 4 years ago,” said Collins. “They know the hard control board is gone. They know we’re paying cash for capital and paying down our debt. When they get their property tax bills they know we’ve held the property tax bills.”
Comptroller Mark Poloncarz, says it’s time for a change in Erie County. Poloncazr says his successful career as county comptroller helped find millions of dollars in cost savings and he assisted with the green and red budget. He also says he has a has a comprehensive plan to help turn around the unemployment situation in the region. Poloncarz claims under the current administration the county has lost 14,000 jobs.
“I understand what needs to be done in Erie County,” said Poloncarz.”I know where the bodies are buried and where the county executive has been hiding money. I prioritize people he does not. I pledge my number one priority will be job creation for the people of Erie County. We aren’t using our resources to our full potential.”