Buffalo Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan has submitted plans to reorganize City Hall, detailing the addition of some positions along with the consolidation and elimination of others.
The proposed restructure better aligns responsibilities with demands on City services and aims to improve City government operations, according to Ryan's transition team. A spokesperson explained all positions slated for elimination are exempt roles, with the exception of one currently vacant civil service job.
“My first priority is building a modern city government that delivers the high-quality services Buffalo residents expect,” Ryan said in a press release. “Just as important, we’re doing it without asking taxpayers to pay more. This plan creates a more efficient government that does more with fewer taxpayer dollars.”
He added no services will be cut under the plan.
BTPM NPR has access to the itemized proposal detailing the roles that will be cut, those that will see a salary boost and new roles added to the administration.
Seven roles will be eliminated under the proposal as it stands Wednesday. Both the Department of Community Services and Recreational Programming and the Law Department take the brunt of the job cuts, creating savings of around $550,000.
That's offset by a significant boost to the Mayor and Executive Department which will see salary increases of more than $400,000 total.
Ryan's four new deputy mayors are the most significant change within the executive branch and will be paid $800k between them. The current administration budgets for just two deputies to split $296,000. Among other changes, the office will also see the addition of a Director of Statewide Legislative Affairs and cut the role of Executive Director of the Buffalo Arts Commission.
In other departments, the role of Police Commissioner will see a salary boost of approximately $75,000, earning $250,000 per year rather than the current $174,770 and Corporation Counsel leadership roles will also receive higher pay than before.
Proposed salary increases are needed to “attract high-level talent," according to incoming Deputy Mayor Benjamin Swanekamp.
“These adjustments are paid for by deleting either positions we feel are currently duplicative, unneeded or are covered by other areas,” he told the Buffalo Common Council's Finance Committee, Tuesday.
Both the Ryan and Scanlon administrations said the reorganization will save city taxpayers almost $100,000 each year. However, the city comptroller’s office exclusively told BTPM NPR savings look to be around half that, but with the caveat they do not know exactly how some salaries will be reduced under Ryan’s plan, particularly in the Law Department.
Either way, Deputy Comptroller Delano Dowell said savings of a few thousand dollars are minimal given the city ended the last fiscal year with a $14 million budget deficit and are in the red this year so far.
“No disrespect, I understand the reorganization. The new mayor - he can do what he wants to do and bring on what he wants to bring on, but these savings will not affect the city's bottom line," Dowell said.
The Common Council is expected to vote on the reorganization proposal next week.
