New Lancaster supervisor miffed at $71,098 salary; denied $5,000 stipend

[WNYresident]

New Lancaster supervisor miffed at $71,098 salary; denied $5,000 stipend

New Lancaster Supervisor Ronald Ruffino is not happy with his salary.
He had no problems saying so in public this week.
During his first Town Board meeting in the elected office, Ruffino noted that his $71,098 salary is almost $18,000 less than the town clerk draws after his bid for a $5,000 stipend was denied for 2020. He also said his pay pales in comparison to the $85,121 paid to the highway superintendent.

https://buffalonews.com/2020/01/08/n...Yj2_bcWOjS0ntM


Did he know the salary when he ran for the spot?

Well I have the answer. Lower the two other salaries because the benefits I'm assuming are excellent. This way the Supervisor doesn't feel slighted.

[joe d.]

Ruffino should show the taxpayers he has high standards and will accept nothing less...AND QUIT!
Questioning where his head was when he ran for the Supv Office??...Perhaps if he knew this office was underpaid?...he should of made this demand in one of his campaign speeches...and saved himself the trouble of being elected!

[Neubs24]

The town’s former supervisor, Johanna Coleman, denied Ruffino’s claim, stating that the tentative and final budgets were approved prior to the election.
“We didn’t know who won the election until after Election Day. All of those salary amounts were in there and able to be modified by the board, including the two candidates running for supervisor. Neither of them wanted to amend that budget, and Ruffino never called asking questions about the budget,” said Coleman.
Coleman added that a stipend for budget officer had not been in the supervisor’s salary for seven years prior to last year and Coleman’s term.
“When I took office in 2016, I worked on the budget, and obviously I prepared [multiple] budgets as town clerk. Then when I became supervisor, I worked on all the department budgets with no salary for budget director for my first three years. I just did not want to plunk a salary in for myself,” said Coleman. “I was spoken to by several board members and by other people in the administration that I should be compensated for it.”
The budget officer stipend was approved in 2019, and when preparing the 2020 budget, Coleman said neither of the candidates knew enough about budgeting to be completing the budget work she did.
“If Ruffino didn’t want that in there last year, he could have made a suggestion to remove it. He had all the same opportunities to suggest that it be put in there for this year’s budget,” said Coleman. “It wasn’t out of spite. I spend my entire life not doing things out of spite. That’s not who I am.”

Ronny was on the outgoing board... why didn't he say something? He's off to a great start here....

[mark blazejewski]

[/I]

Ronny was on the outgoing board... why didn't he say something? He's off to a great start here....

Maybe he was too busy texting at that session Neubs?

[MaddMatt]

[h=1]


Did he know the salary when he ran for the spot?

This is something that Ron had stated at Board meetings over the last few years when other employees requested pay raises. Karma has a way of biting you once in a while.

That being said, I agree with him that his salary is out of whack with those that report to him. There are a few department heads as well as some rank and file that all make more. I would expect that it could be rectified in the upcoming years but at what political cost? It puts him in a tough spot.

Matt

[mark blazejewski]

This is something that Ron had stated at Board meetings over the last few years when other employees requested pay raises. Karma has a way of biting you once in a while.

Indeed, Karma is can be a bitch Matt, as can publicly exposed hypocrisy.

That being said, I agree with him that his salary is out of whack with those that report to him.

If public service and not profit is his value, the seeming compensation inequity should not concern him, just my opinion.

Many engage the public sector to serve their community and to honor their attendant passions, without strict regard to their own profit.

For example, a teacher in the Buffalo Schools makes far less than a teacher here in Lancaster. The required NYS Certification requirements in both Lancaster and Buffalo are the same; the work is the same, and at times, even more burdensome in Buffalo, and the true professional's commitment to the students is the same, yet there is a significant disparity in their respective compensation(s).

Ergo, your observation is worthy of public note, but, if Ruffino is truly the committed public servant he that represented himself to be, it is should be of no consequence to him, unless he is seeking public support in a perceived case of his "buyer's remorse."

I would expect that it could be rectified in the upcoming years but at what political cost?

Matt, your words profoundly raise what I consider to be a significant issue raised by Ruffino's "Miffed" conduct: Is this truly a matter of priority which impacts the safety and prosperity of the town?

The words spoken and the time expended by Ruffino in support of his personal profit, were words and time not applied to the preeminent issues of infrastructure, public safety, over-development, all of which are in need of the Council's urgent attention.

It puts him in a tough spot.

Nah Matt, it puts the town in a tough spot.

[Member 2358]

Seems like the demands of the role of Supervisor for anyplace (town) of substance is essentially a full time job... and as such should return appropriate value. Maybe that's cash. Maybe it's something else.

If the pay there is too little, then agree to raise it for the next human that assumes the roll. Honestly, this Ruffino guy has just made himself look entirely foolish.

[WNYresident]

This is something that Ron had stated at Board meetings over the last few years when other employees requested pay raises. Karma has a way of biting you once in a while.

That being said, I agree with him that his salary is out of whack with those that report to him. There are a few department heads as well as some rank and file that all make more. I would expect that it could be rectified in the upcoming years but at what political cost? It puts him in a tough spot.

Matt

Perhaps grow some balls and they can't lower the salaries instead of raising others. Just saying.


Our area has the highest property taxes in the nation for the most part. Correct? That will never change if we stay on the same course.

[WNYresident]

Seems like the demands of the role of Supervisor for anyplace (town) of substance is essentially a full time job... and as such should return appropriate value. Maybe that's cash. Maybe it's something else.

If the pay there is too little, then agree to raise it for the next human that assumes the roll. Honestly, this Ruffino guy has just made himself look entirely foolish.

71k Plus good benefits isn't bad at all for a full time job. Specially one that filled with a lot of "bs'ing" time without any accountability of results at the end of the day. Yeah you can get voted out next round but lets be serious now. The only qualification for that position is one more vote than someone else. Correct?

If the Dems put up Fred "the unemployed guy that worked at a carwash" and the Reps put up Martin "the unemployed guy that worked at a 7/11" and the IP put up Barny "the unemployed telemarketer" one of those people would be your next supervisor.

[mark blazejewski]

Honestly, this Ruffino guy has just made himself look entirely foolish.

Yea, and those who bought his 2019 campaign rhetoric.

[Neubs24]

Yea, and those who bought his 2019 campaign rhetoric.

The fact that he's using his first meeting to bring this up shows where his priorities lie, IMO. Work a couple extra days at the arena, Ron.

Better yet, next meeting, someone bring pictures of his house and ask him if he's really hurting for the extra $5k.

[WNYresident]

Better yet, next meeting, someone bring pictures of his house and ask him if he's really hurting for the extra $5k.

That comment is unfair. Just because you own a nice large house doesn't mean any position is worth more or less.

[mark blazejewski]

Simple, But It Says It...

[gorja]

Originally posted by WNYresident:
Did he know the salary when he ran for the spot?

Yes. i'd say in February when he started running for the position the salary also included a budget director stipend,
that was not removed until budget time.

[Neubs24]

That comment is unfair. Just because you own a nice large house doesn't mean any position is worth more or less.

Correct, if you're talking about positional value. I'm merely talking about a $5000 budget officer stipend, not his full salary.