Reply With QuoteI'm still having a hard time making sense of the fact that they approved that salary for three years. When it was budget time, no one questioned the amount of money she was getting?! How could it go on so long?
The only thing I could think of would be to re-establish the position and then make the appointment, but I have serious doubts as to whether the re-establishment of this position would be lawful.Originally Posted by gorja
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
I'm still having a hard time making sense of the fact that they approved that salary for three years. When it was budget time, no one questioned the amount of money she was getting?! How could it go on so long?
Where did they approve that salary?
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
Just to put the bickering aside for second, Bielcki made the statement that the department could not function without a Deputy Comptroller. Anybody know what he meant by that?
Most towns in Erie County don't even have a comptroller. This includes the bigger towns of Cheektowaga and Hamburg. The work is done by the Supervisor. If the "Acting Deputy Comptroller" doesn't want to do the work, then the Comptroller and Supervisor need to pick up her work and transfer this individual to a different department. There have been 3 full time positions added to the Comptroller's office since Piotrowski became Supervisor. They do his work while he is running his law office full time. According to the payroll stats that Mr. Warren presented, the Comptroller's office is incurring a cost of about 1/3 million dollars for salaries and benefits. For what they do, this seems to be excessive.
Their primary function is to do the payroll. A private payroll company could do the town payroll at probably one tenth the cost. The Return On Investment the town is getting from the Comptroller's office under Piotrowski and Bielecki should be examined. There really seems to be a case of severe mismanagement. There seems to be a lack of accountability.
Piotrowski and Bielecki have already been slapped by State Comptroller DiNapoli. He should be called in again to take a look at what is going on. On the surface, Piotrowski and Bielecki have tragically failed the residents.
I think maybe truthseeker means by approving the budget the last 3 years with Kauderer's salary in the budget, they approved her salary.Originally posted by dtwarren:
Where did they approve that salary?
Georgia L Schlager
I wanted to be sure that is what TS was referring to because as I have previously stated:
Also just because the budget appropriates an amount for a position does not automatically transform into an authorization for a raise. They could be appropriating more money to that title to account for anticipated overtime or possibly a part-time hire. What controls the pay for an individual is what group and step they are in, not how much is budgeted.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
But what about the title of the position, for the last 3 years - Acting Deputy Comptroller was her title or part of her title in the salary reports?
Georgia L Schlager
The town board is the sole appointing authority and they never appointed her to that title, which they abolished on March 27, 2006.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
The Facts:
At some time prior to March 27, 2006 Kauderer was duly appointed to the position of Account Clerk/Mini Computer Operator.
At a meeting of the Town Board of the Town of West Seneca held on March 27, 2006, Kauderer was granted a leave of absence from her position of Account Clerk/Mini Computer Operator for the period of March 28, 2006 through March 28, 2007 and appointed to the position of Bookkeeper to the Supervisor at a salary of $45,178.00.
At the March 27, 2006 meeting of the West Seneca Town Board it abolished the position of Deputy Town Comptroller.
At the March 26, 2007 meeting of the West Seneca Town Board it extended Kauderer’s leave of absence from her civil service position of Account Clerk/Mini Computer Operator to March 28, 2008.
At the June 25, 2007 meeting of the West Seneca Town Board it terminated Kauderer from the position of Bookkeeper to the Supervisor and reinstated her to her position of Account Clerk/Mini Computer Operator.
At no time since March 27, 2006 did the West Seneca Town Board re-establish the position of Deputy Town Comptroller.
At no time since March 27, 2006 did the West Seneca Town Board appoint Kauderer to the position of Acting Deputy Town Comptroller.
At no time since March 27, 2006 did the West Seneca Town Board approve receipt of "out-of-title" pay to Kauderer.
That despite the foregoing Kauderer was paid in excess of the lawfully established rate of pay for her group and step for the title of Account Clerk/Mini Computer Operator since, upon information and belief, sometime in 2009.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
I understand all that. But when the board approves the budget, does the budget that is up for approval include employee names, titles and compensation?
Georgia L Schlager
Count, Great arugment, very well reasoned and I agree with you. With the other steps they have taken to save money; privatize the Engineer, share Assesor responsibilities with Elma, and combine Tax Receiver with Town Clerk, it might very well be something to look into. To put it all on Piotrowski and Bielecki is a little misleading though. To accomplish something like this, you would need a majority vote by the town board. So if you are going to call it a failure of Piotrowski, to be fair, you have to call it a failure of Meegan and Clarke as well. They have the power and could have made this motion at any time.
In the mean time, anyone have any idea what the Emergency Meeting re: Operation of the Comptroller's Office is going to encompass, scheduled for today at 10am at Burchfield?
No, titles only by department also there is no money appropriated for Acting Deputy Town Comptroller or Deputy Town Comptroller: http://westseneca.net/pdfile/2011_Adopted_Budget.pdf
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
2008 Town Salary Report:
Linda Kauderer: A/C Mini Comp Oper/ Act Deputy Comptoller: $60,175
http://www.westseneca.net/pdfile/200...e%20salary.pdf
2009 Town Salary Report:
Linda Kauderer: Act Deputy Town Comptroller: $68,243
http://www.westseneca.net/pdfile/200...yee_salary.pdf
2010: Town Salary Report:
Linda Kauderer: A. Deputy Comptroller: $70,252
http://www.westseneca.net/sites/defa...20INTERNET.pdf
I don’t understand how you can take away someone’s out of title pay, when they carry that title?
Because it was never authorized by the appointing authority like Pinnavaia's was.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
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