Most of the $123.7 million coming to Erie County government from the American Rescue Plan or through restored state funding is currently earmarked for construction projects and community grants.
But not all the money would be spent on roads, parks and sewer lines.
Government employees would receive millions, too, under a county plan on how to spend the money – the Reinvest in Erie's Neighborhoods and Employ our Workforce plan, or RENEW.
County Executive Mark Poloncarz wants to create county jobs across half a dozen departments and restore more than a third of the 287 positions that were eliminated last year in emergency budget cuts, so the county expects to add $8.8 million in recurring personnel costs.
For this year, his administration expects to spend roughly $4 million on the new and restored jobs, plus distribute $6 million in premium pay – basically retroactive hazard pay – for certain essential employees who worked during the three months after the coronavirus health crisis started in March 2020.
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Erie County legislators last week asked if more federal stimulus money could be allocated in premium pay to employees at SUNY Erie Community College and Erie County Medical Center. The workforces at both institutions are considered county government employees for collective bargaining purposes but are not part of the county payroll.
"We're investing millions of dollars into parks and roads in the City of Buffalo, when the City of Buffalo is getting $330 million of their own American Rescue Plan," said Minority Leader Joseph Lorigo, C-West Seneca. "Why are we doing these things? These things deserve a conversation."
County administrators pointed out that ECMC already gave its front-line employees hazard pay last year.
County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw also suggested reallocating money currently earmarked for community college roof replacement to employees at the college and hospital.
There are no legal prohibitions against giving either the college or the hospital employees premium pay, though Labor Relations Commissioner Gary Wilson called distributing such money through county paychecks "logistically impossible."
Poloncarz also balked at the idea of extending premium pay to non-county government workers.
"If we were to try to provide premium pay for all essential workers in the county, we'd never be able to do it," he said. "There would not be enough money for it."
Premium pay
The county has spent $1.1 million so far this year on overtime for county employees doing Covid-related work, according to the latest overtime report from the Erie County Comptroller's Office. Last year, county employees received $5.9 million in Covid-related overtime covered by the CARES Act.
But employees did not receive "premium" or hazard pay last year for coming into work for doing what was considered essential county work. The American Rescue Plan makes specific allowances for giving government employees premium pay, up to a certain income level.
Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein, who has earned $85,142 in overtime pay so far this year, would not be eligible for the premium pay, nor would elected officials. But many other essential county government employees who earned less than $116,000 last year would be eligible.
"We felt it was important to reward the employees who went well above and beyond the call of duty by coming in and working at a time when the vast majority of people were home," Poloncarz said of the $6 million allocation. "For those who are going to criticize it, these people put their lives on the line for our community, and I know how hard they worked."
But he and other county administrators attempted to discourage county legislators from considering expanding the pool of employees who would qualify for the additional $5 per hour in hazard pay for working between mid-March and June of last year.
New and restored jobs
Poloncarz wants to restore 107 of the 287 mostly vacant jobs that were eliminated last year as part of his deficit cutting plan, noting the total number of jobs would remain lower than two years ago. Some jobs would receive partial state reimbursement.
The county executive also wants to create 35 county positions, including nine for the proposed Office of Health Equity, which would be tasked with trying to narrow the racial and geographic disparities in health between city and non-city residents in Erie County.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry would benefit most from new jobs under Poloncarz's plan.
"We added 10 positions in parks," he said. "Why? Because they're getting annihilated with use. We just don't have enough staff to keep up."
Sixteen other jobs would be split between Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the District Attorney's Office, and the Cancer Services program, which is aimed at addressing cancer clusters.
Poloncarz said he expects growth in sales tax revenue will cover the $8.8 million in recurring personnel expenses that would result from his plan.
The Erie County Legislature is expected to further discuss spending priorities for the RENEW plan on Wednesday.
