7/16/12: Courtesy of YNN. Taking a look at Erie County’s fiscal future the same day the county legislature began its mid-year budget review hearings, County Executive Mark Poloncarz took a look back at the past few months. As YNN’s Katie Morse tells us, Poloncarz says he’s found $50 million in unanticipated expenses, and taxpayers could end up feeling the heat. ERIE COUNTY, NY — County Executive Mark Poloncarz says in the six months he’s been in office, he’s found more than $50 million in unanticipated expenses. “I’m very worried about the financial status of the county,” he said. Topping the list is County payments to ECMC, which he says have skyrocketed because of medicaid program regulations. “Anybody who says we’re not in the hospital business doesn’t have any idea what’s going on in Erie County government with the finances associated with ECMC. We may have to pay them 51 million dollars this year. And we only have 16 million dollars in the budget,” said Poloncarz. His administration is estimating the county will have to pay between $40 million and $51 million to the hospital this year – and that’s just one of the county’s costs. The state also mandated Erie County to hire dozens of additional sheriff’s deputies, at a cost of six million dollars. “We have a balanced budget through the first five months, but if things continue, we’re gonna have some very difficult times going forward,” said Poloncarz.

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