10/16/14: Comptroller Mychajliw Fails to Release Budget Report by October 15 Deadline

Modified: January 23, 2015 4:19pm

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Date: 
10/16/14

Erie County Charter Requires Comptroller to Submit Report on Major Revenue and Expenses Included in 2015 Budget

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Despite having two weeks to do so, Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw failed to release his report on major revenue and expenses included in the 2015 Erie County Proposed Budget by the Erie County Charter mandated deadline of October 15, 2014. The tardy report was clocked in a day late at the Legislature this morning.

Specifically, Article 18, Section 1802 (o) of the Erie County Charter states: “On or before the 15th of October, review all revenue projections to be used in the proposed tentative budget prepared by the county executive and submit to the legislature in writing a report indicating whether or not the projections are suitable estimates for the ensuing year. Should the comptroller determine that the revenue projections are not suitable for the ensuing fiscal year, the legislature, upon notice from the comptroller may revise such projections downward upon a two-thirds majority vote. The legislature shall not revise such revenue projections upward.”

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “It is disappointing that Comptroller Mychajliw chose to violate the County Charter by failing to issue his mandated report on the revenue and expenses included in my 2015 Proposed Budget on time, despite having two weeks to do so.  Instead of completing and issuing the report by yesterday’s deadline, as mandated by the Charter, he decided to hold a press conference to criticize my budget even though he had not actually seen the budget; and we know that because a representative of the Budget Office attempted to hand deliver the copies of the 2015 Proposed Budget to the Comptroller yesterday but was stopped by his office’s staff because he was holding his press conference. The point of the mandate requiring the Comptroller’s office to issue the report is to put an independent eye on the various projections included in the budget to be sure they are reasonable. In failing to issue his report on time, he has failed to be the taxpayers’ watchdog he claims to be.”