BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns was a man on a mission Thursday as he asked the county legislature to approve his immediate request to add 11 new civil service employees at local DMVs.

He says additions would alleviate wait times and allow for the Northtown branch to operate on Saturdays.

It’s an attempt to counteract an expected tripling of license renewals over the next three years.

"We're going to go from 41,000 renewals to up to 131,000. We're trying to cut the lines down and give better customer service," said Kearns. 

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz had criticized Kearns’ plan to use funds from a county trust account.

While he doesn't discount the idea the DMV needs more staffing, he advised the legislature not to vote on the proposal Thursday and to send the matter to committee.

Kearns says the $330,000 needed to hire the 11 employees will come from the more than $700,000 surplus the auto bureaus brought in last year.

He also reiterated the need for new hires, saying they will help bolster business in the auto bureaus that would increase the $10 million in revenue his office brings to the county, and called Poloncarz's involvement in the matter an overreach.

"He should be concerned about potholes in Erie County and not lines, how long we're waiting. I appreciate his input, but he has other things he needs to worry about. All I worry about is the taxpayers," said Kearns.

"Mickey doesn't understand I'm the chief budget officer of Erie County. I would recommend Mickey Kearns actually read the charter. In the end, it's my responsibility and for him to say I don't have a role in this shows his ignorance, complete, utter ignorance," said Poloncarz. 

Despite Poloncarz’s advisement, the county legislature approved the proposal 10 to 1.

Kearns hopes to have the 11 employees in place by May or June.