BUFFALO, N.Y. — Behind the scenes, members of the Erie County Legislature are figuring out who will lead them in 2018.

"We're close," GOP Legislator Kevin Hardwick said. "I think both sides, Democrats and Republicans, have narrowed it down to two individuals."

On the Republican side, current Chairman John Mills and Majority Leader Joe Lorigo are both vying for minority leader. Hardwick said they want to choose someone who can reach across the aisle, but only to an extent.

"On our side obviously we want to be the loyal opposition to the county executive and to the Democrats," he said.

Hardwick believes his counterparts have narrowed their choice for chairman to returning members Peter Savage and Tom Loughran.

"Personally, I get along well with all the Democrats. I know both Tom and Peter and either one of them will be fine with me. I think there's a lot of respect in that body," he said.

Democratic County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he's not interfering with the process and believes he can work with whomever's chosen.

"I'm just looking forward to having a relationship with the Legislature where we can talk things through," Poloncarz said. "It doesn't have to be so acrimonious as it unfortunately was at different times in the past."

Already, he said the budget, approved this week, moved forward with possibly the least acrimony of his tenure.

"Maybe things were different in the past because it was more political and now the politics was taken out of it because the new Legislature is going to take over," Poloncarz said.

The county executive believes he can pass stalled ethics reform and fair housing bills, shortly after the new majority takes over. Hardwick could see some early bipartisan efforts.

"I think some of the things that have been bottled up in committee will get done. I think that on some of these things, the county executive and the Democrats will have a fair amount of Republican support," he said.

Eventually though, Hardwick believes the county executive and leadership will test how far left the body can swing.

"There we'll draw the line in the sand and we'll see how that goes and there will be some fireworks, I'm sure, in the Legislature," he said.