Committee delays vote on community college appointment amid questions about prior restriction

Erie County finance committee members postponed final action on a nomination to the Erie County Community College board of trustees after members identified a possible earlier resolution that could restrict appointments.

The county executive submitted Carl Anderson’s nomination to replace Dr. Charles Mach for a term through Aug. 31, 2026. Committee members said they had not found the text of a previously referenced standalone resolution that some recalled imposed a one‑year waiting period for former council members and an unusually broad ban on relatives working for the college.

A committee member said the resolution language was ‘‘very, very detailed’’ and recalled it naming relatives down to grandchildren and a multi‑year restriction; another committee member said they had identified possible resolutions to review — resolutions 27 and 28 of 2017 and a 2019 resolution that may have amended earlier language. Members asked county staff and the nominee to locate and circulate those resolutions before a vote.

The vice chair suggested the committee could waive any such restriction for this appointment if the document exists, but several members preferred to locate the record before acting. One committee member said the committee should consider rescinding or clarifying any standalone policy the committee finds to prevent future confusion.

No final vote was taken. The committee scheduled further review and asked staff to provide copies of the 2017 and 2019 resolutions for committee members to examine at the next meeting.