By Dave McKinley

November 9, 2011

BUFFALO, NY –  On Tuesday night, following his defeat in the race for Erie County Executive, incumbent Republican Chris Collins spoke of Mark Poloncarz, the Democrat challenger who emerged victorious and will take office January 1, 2012.

“I do wish him well, if he needs help in a transition I’d be more than happy to offer that,” Collins said moments after conceding the race.

However, Collins also conceded, that at that point he’d yet to formally offer an olive branch to his foe.

“No, Mr. Poloncarz and I have not spoken really in four years…I see no reason to do that tonight either,” Collins said.

By Wednesday afternoon, the two still had not spoken.

“I’ve not talked to him,” Poloncarz told WGRZ-TV. “If he wants to reach out to me he can…eventually I’m going to reach out to him if he doesn’t,” said Poloncarz, who also confessed that he still hadn’t slept since Monday night, having been too “keyed up” by his victory.

Through a spokesman Collins declined Two On Your Side’s request for an interview on Wednesday.

Meantime, Poloncarz, the County’s Comptroller as well as being County Executive-Elect, says he is now in the early stages of setting up a transition team, in order to prepare for taking over as County Executive, and fulfilling the campaign promises he made.

He says the most important of those will be to establish programs and policies to create jobs, under the “7 in 11” planwhich he announced as part of his campaign platform.

Though the plan is aimed at creating private sector jobs, 2 On Your Side asked Poloncarz if part of his job creation program would be to re-instate any of the hundreds of county workers laid off during the Collins administration.

“Could I re-hire everyone back that he’s cut in the last few years? No…nor do I think it necessarily makes sense in every situation… I mean, the Comptroller’s office is basically bare bones right now and my successor is going to have a hard time unless some of these jobs actually are restored.”

Poloncarz also noted that the budget he will begin his term with, will be the one hammered out between Collins and the existing Erie County Legislature before Collins leaves office at the end of the year.

“I plan to make my desires known, though, to both Mr. Collins and the legislature as they move forward,” Poloncarz said.

“We have to provide service to the public, and if we’re not providing service to the public, then we’re not doing a servicefor the public…and for some members of the public we have not been.”

Asked if he’s prepared for critics who will see this as a sign of an intent to increase the size of the county workforce, Poloncarz stated: “It’s not even 24 hours since they called the election…if you’re going to criticize me now for things I haven’t done yet, just wait. I think people are going to enjoy the ride.”

A ride he says will be markedly different from the one of the last four years.

When asked if there were any aspects of the Collins administration, or any policies Collins put forth, that he plan to keep or adopt, Poloncarz said, “Well, we’ve always worked to present better, more efficient government. I don’t know if we always agreed on how to get there. He implemented a six sigma program …I don’t think the six sigma program has come up with any appreciable savings…and I don’t see it continuing in my administration.”

“We need to remember as elected officials that we work for the public, that the public are our bosses, and if we forget that rule, we’re not doing the job that we’re supposed to…and I truly think that Chris forgot that,” Poloncarz said.

Ironing out a new stadium lease with the Buffalo Bills will be another of his top priorities, according to Poloncarz, when he takes office January 1st. That’s also when the new, 11 member County Legislature will be tasked with appointing a successor to serve out the two remaining years of his term as Comptroller.

That task would fall to the current legislature if Poloncarz resigns before then, but he says he has no plans to do that. In either case, by county charter, lawmakers must appoint a fellow Democrat to replace him.

Click on the video player to watch our story from 2 On Your Side Reporter Dave McKinley and Photojournalist Dave Harrington,.

You can also watch our entire 15 minute interview with County Executive-Elect Poloncarz , where he also recounts those heady moments on Tuesday night when he first realized that he had won the election.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/141251/37/County-Executive-Elect-Poloncarz-Speaks

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