BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - The fallout from Governor Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment scandal, potential impeachment, or resignation should have no effect on the negotiations for a new Buffalo Bills stadium, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.
The governor's office is among the prominent stakeholders in negotiations for a new stadium for the team along with Erie County. However, some are questioning if his possible resignation or impeachment would impact a timeline for the negotiations.
"The governor has not been involved in any of the meetings," Poloncarz said. "My understanding is he's been made aware by the state officials of the conversations that have been ongoing. He has not been involved in the direct meetings."
New York hired an outside law firm to help in negotiations and another firm for consulting work over the next year. Erie County is also utilizing outside counsel for the stadium negotiations.
"If the governor resigned, our governor is then Kathy Hochul," Poloncarz said. "I do know Kathy Hochul wants to ensure the Bills stay in Buffalo."
The Bills stadium lease ends in 2023. Poloncarz said a deal does not need to be made in the next month but would like one to be reached by the end of this season.
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"I have no arbitrary deadline," Poloncarz said. "We will get a deal done. It doesn't matter if it takes three months, whatever. But we will get a deal done. It's just got to be a fair deal for all."
Poloncarz on Tuesday also refuted reports about the Bills threatening to move.
"There's been no gun put to the head of Erie County and New York State stating 'If you do not do this, we are moving'," Poloncarz said. "Negotiations are a long process. The last lease, we actually started the discussion before I was sworn in as county executive but after I won the election in 2011. It took us the whole year to get a deal announced, which we announced in December. We didn't close the deal until May of 2013, at which time it had fallen apart between December and May. I don't expect there to be an announcement of a deal any time soon."