SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- It’s a lawsuit that’s cost Onondaga County more than $150,000 and on Thursday, Judge Spencer Ludington ruled that the suit can go forward.
“There's been a lot of money expended on this lawsuit," Onondaga County Comptroller Robert Antonacci said.
"I certainly don't like the fact that we are fighting with each other. We've got important business in Onondaga County government, but this was a necessary process."
Antonacci filed the suit this winter after the county legislature voted in favor of pay raises for themselves and the County Executive in December. The Comptroller says they were illegal because the vote did not occur during the budget process.
"This is about protecting the public treasury, passing laws in the right manner and certainly the roles and duties of the county comptroller that I was elected to protect and carry forward," Antonacci said.
Robert Smith, who is representing the county, says he's "confident" that the findings will show the legislature acted "properly." He says the lawsuit is political.
"They were fully aware of the process," Smith said. "In fact he had people from the comptroller's office at the meeting discussing these raises and the only objection came after the time that he was withdrawn from those raises."
He says he'll continue to defend the legislature's actions.
"We're looking forward to putting in our proof to substantiate that the method by which it was done was done legally and correctly," Smith said.
The next court date is August 11th.