Elma, N.Y. (WBEN) - Christine Czarnik running for comptroller in Erie County has come out to voice the failure that her opponent Kevin Hardwick has done with ErieNet.
"ErieNet promised high speed access to underserved areas Economic Development and Public private partnerships." Czarnik said. "None of that has happened. This project is riddled with red flags."
ErieNet plan is to give access to underserved areas Economic Development and Public private partnerships. Czarnik feels that nothing has happened. She states that since it was proposed by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz in 2019. Hardwick responding to what Czarnik had to say.
"Like many people, I'm disappointed in the implementation so far, but I'm hoping they can get their act together and and have it, have it go." Hardwick said. "I'm not upset that Christine is trying to blame everything on me. That's the job of a challenger in a campaign, she's entitled to run a campaign. I know that I've been through this a few times before, and I know the sorts of things that get said, so I think ErieNet is something that we all should be concerned about."
Czarnik feels that ErieNet is led by someone that is unqualified and has no background in broadband service. She also called out Hardwick for not having speaking out on the issues with ErieNet. Saying that he is falling asleep at the wheel.
This is exactly why we need a professional, not a career politician, in the Comptroller’s office,” Czarnik continued. “Hardwick has failed to ask the hard questions, failed to audit, and failed to protect taxpayers. The taxpayers deserve better than excuses and political cover-ups. As Comptroller, I will make transparency and accountability the rule — not the exception,” Czarnik concluded.