Details about this story

• Source: Buffalo News
• Date: November 12, 2006
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: Patrick Lakamp , Susan Schulman
• Topics: Local Government , Disasters
• Data Types: Local Data
• Description/Excerpt: Buffalo and Erie County are paying top dollar to clear downed tree limbs and other debris from the October snowstorm - as much as 50 to 85 percent higher than some suburban communities, a Buffalo News analysis found. Buffalo's paying more, in part, because the city skipped public bidding. City leaders wanted the work done quickly to eliminate safety hazards and prevent financial losses from the city's being shut down. Erie County, meanwhile, paid more for debris removal because County Executive Joel A. Giambra insisted on hiring only local firms. But in the end, several local companies the county hired subcontracted the work to out-of-state companies.