Erie County Legislature Chairman John Mills and Majority Leader Joseph Lorigo released the following statements after the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority refused to attend today’s Special Informational Meeting on a $120 million borrowing plan and its decision to take Erie County to court following a subpoena compelling them to attend. The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority is a state authority funded by Erie County at annual costs of almost $500,000 a year.

“I did not take the action lightly to subpoena the board, but after more than two months of trying to work with the ECFSA, to meet with them publically, I felt I had no choice. This borrowing item is incredibly important to ECMC and taxpayers, and there are many questions. I would think that the ECFSA, the agency charged with keeping a close eye on county finances, would want to discuss this at a public meeting to fully vet the issue,” said Chairman Mills.

“What started as a request to have an open and transparent conversation about a $120 million borrowing proposal has resulted in the ECFSA wasting taxpayer money on legal fees. The Legislature still needs to act on the Declaration of Need to allow the ECFSA to borrow, but we have yet to hear from them on the specifics and merits of the deal. Their failure to appear at today’s meeting is troubling, and quite frankly, their steadfast refusal to speak publicly raises a number of important questions,” said Majority Leader Lorigo.