On Thursday afternoon, about 30 minutes into my meeting with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, the first-term politician rose from his swivel chair and walked into a room near his office on the 16th floor of the Rath County Office Building.

The sound of rummaging could be briefly heard. I exchanged quizzical looks with the executive’s press secretary, Peter Anderson, who wasn’t quite sure what his boss was up to.

Poloncarz returned carrying three hefty accordion folders weighed down with documents, which he promptly dropped onto his hulking wooden desk. From one of the folders he drew three reams of paper containing the 2013 Erie County budget. From one of those reams he chose a single page, which he then picked up, allowing the rest of the hefty budget booklet to dangle in the air.

By Colin Dabkowski | News Arts Critic | July 14, 2013 – 12:01 AM

07142013 Arts and culture funding is more than a blip on Poloncarz Gusto CDabkowski