Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Common Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday regarding a letter sent to the New York State State Comptroller's Office by Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski.
In the letter, Nowakowski requested the State Comptroller's Office to give a risk assessment audit looking into City of Buffalo employees on paid leave administration, and if they need to come in for further review of this matter.
The issue surrounding city employees on paid administrative leave has been an issue since September when members of the Common Council called for an audit by City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams following word that one employee collected over $600,000 after being placed on administrative leave in 2016 for allegedly tampering with the payroll.
"I think it's really critical that if we have extra eyes on this, it just means there's more of a thorough review and protection to the municipality," said Councilman Nowakowski following Tuesday's Common Council meeting at City Hall. "This has been really a long-standing issue that dates back years ago, so I'm assuming this is going to involve multiple parties, and then an overarching and large department that the State Comptroller has. If they deem the risk is there, we'll go in to do an assessment and update the city."
Nowakowski says this is a process that other municipalities do as well. If a local elected official feels a need to appeal to a higher body, like the state, they can make that argument or plea and state their attention of the request. At that point, the Comptroller's Office will have a timeline to notify the city if they will be further auditing or investigating.
Since September, Nowakowski feels there has been too much back-and-forth going on in City Hall between the Council and the City Comptroller's Office regarding this matter. Nowakowski and the Council were told a week ago the City Comptroller's Office was going to have information ready and filed with this audit on Tuesday, but missed the deadline.
"I don't want to play ping pong with the comptroller. To get to the brass tacks of it, I want to get answers, I want it to be factual, and I want to leave politics and personality [out] of it. Let's get into the cold, hard facts," Nowakowski said. "I believe it's prudent that the Council stop going in this back-and-forth, and that we appeal to the state to come in, where they can accurately assess the risk, and if they need to go in further, then they will. And we'll really defer to the State Comptroller's Office, if they will come in further."
While Nowakowski admits some frustrations with the slow progress of this audit with the City Comptroller's Office, he says he's efforting to take those frustrations and turn it into action.
Before sending his letter to the State Comptroller's Office, Nowakowski did say he did have a conversation with City Comptroller Miller-Williams, where she said she had no apprehension with this matter going to another entity for review. However, she adds she's working through her own documents received from the law department, and they're working through what exactly will be submitted to the Council.
"There are items, I believe, that were redacted that I think she's working to either restore or keep redacted for her investigations to not impugn the city, is what she told me. But she stated she had no opposition," added Nowakowski.
"She didn't seem like this was going to be something filed next year. She was wrapping this up, putting a bow on it, and sending it to the Council. We will further review her document, but I think after this really becoming such a thing since September and going back-and-forth, we need clarity. I don't want to play politics, I want to get to the bottom of it. And I see this is a nexus and an avenue that the city can go forward."
Nowakowski says once something is filed and there is something to deliberate among Council members, the process will move forward with the taxpayers of the City of Buffalo in mind.
"I want people to know the city is keeping their eye on it, but we're also appealing to a state body for further review," he said. "It comes down to public trust, and I take that seriously. When people push back the notion and say, 'This can only happen to 11 employees,' or 'It's only $600,000.' The fact of the matter is it's taxpayer dollars, and every penny counts, and people are trusting us with their money and to make sure that we're accurately accounting for it. So I take it seriously, and I take public trust seriously."
