ERIE COUNTY

2018 Citizens Salary Review Commission

 

FINAL REPORT

October 9, 2018

 

 

Executive Summary
Elected County officials have not received a wage increase since 1996. A proposed increase
recommended by the last Citizen’s Salary Review Commission (CSRC) in 2014 was
unanimously rejected by the Erie County Legislature. 2014 members reported that their
recommendations were “Dead on Arrival,” sensing that Erie County legislators concluded it was
“political suicide” to support salary increases for Erie County’s elected officials, even though the
recommendation did not grant them wage increases also.
The current CSRC concluded the best course of action was to use the best available scientific
methods to derive fair and equitable wages for Erie County elected officials. Using input from
interviews with current legislators and building upon statistical procedures synthesized from the
last report and from recommendations of current commission members (some of whom have
considerable expertise in compensation practices), the CSRC Developed a five-pronged
procedure.
We reviewed jobs to make sure any comparisons for wage purposes was based on jobs with like
duties.
We obtained data from similar counties about their pay levels. It is standard practice in
determining wages to look at what is paid in similar counties as a measure of external equity, or
fairness. Similar counties were defined as those with similar populations, median family income
levels, and median real estate values. Population is a proxy for job difficulty, with larger
constituencies presenting more demands on incumbents. The remaining measures are designed to
equate for wealth, reasoning that less affluent counties only could afford to pay lower salaries.
Our definition of “similar” following standard statistical practices, was to include only counties
within one standard deviation of the mean for purposes of comparison.
To the extent possible wages for comparable towns in Erie County were considered, reasoning
that within-county similarities might provide another perspective of fairness.
We also looked at internal equity. Wages of executives and their direct reports, at least in the
private sector, tend to follow a similar pattern, with first level subordinates making roughly 70
percent of the superiors’ wages. For the most part, Erie County elected officials made
considerably less than their direct reports. Based on legislators’ explanations of differences
between the private and public sectors, reinforced by committee members, this data point was
given little weight in our final recommendation.
We calculated change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 1996. One of the basic tenets of
fairness is that employees should, at a minimum, be kept whole. CPI has risen 60% in the interim
since the last increase. While not a primary factor in the final analysis, the sheer size of the
change in cost of goods factored into the fairness consideration.
Wages in similar counties dictated much of our recommended increases. We decided that Erie
County elected officials should be making a salary comparable to other similar counties. The
appropriate measure of comparability in this case is the median family income and median real
estate value of the similar counties (defined as the counties within one standard deviation of the
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 mean of all counties – i.e., the middle 67% of the distribution of counties in NYS). This yielded
the following salary recommendations: County Executive ($118,376), County Comptroller
($94,037), County Sheriff ($89,343), County Clerk ($79,092 – no change), County Legislators
($42,588 – no change), the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Erie County Legislature
($47,588 – no change), and the Legislative Chair of the Erie County Legislature ($52,588 - no
change). We conclude that salaries should be brought up to the median after the next election.
To note the impact of this recommendation on the budget, it is minuscule: $38,803 or less than
0.002 percent. Indeed, if we had regularly given these officials increases since 1996, the annual
impact would have been considerably less than one percent per year.
To ensure that future generations of elected officials don’t face a 22+ year drought of wage
increases, and to reduce the political impact on this process, we recommend that subsequent
increases be linked to changes in the CPI or some percentage thereof. We also recommend that
future CSRC’s monitor how well these annual increases track against wage increases in other
counties and take appropriate actions, as warranted to ensure that such wage inequity not be
permitted to arise in the future.

[This space is intentionally left blank]

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 Acknowledgements
The Commission would like thank Scott Bylewski, Deputy Director of Budget & Management,
Erie County and Mark Cornell, Budget Analyst, Erie County, Budget & Management, for their
excellent administrative support and provision of all data we requested, which made it possible
for the Commission to complete its work in a short timeframe and conduct the analyzes
presented in this report. The Commission would also like to thank Erie County legislators for
meeting with them and sharing their thoughts about the data analysis, the process, and the
parameters of their positions. We would also like to thank Steven Whipple, Erie County
Legislature, Chief of Staff (Minority) and Timothy Callan, Erie County Legislature, Chief of
Staff (Majority) for their assistance throughout this process, including in arranging meetings with
Erie County legislators. The Commission thanks Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County Executive, for
empaneling the 2018 Erie County Citizen Salary Commission. Finally, we would like to express
our gratitude to all Erie County elected officials for their continued faith in entrusting to their
citizens the consideration of such a politically-charged topic as salary levels for elected officials.
Naturally, any errors or omissions in this report are the responsibility of the Commission.

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 Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ ii
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv
The Scenario in 1996 ...................................................................................................................... 1
Purpose and Charge of the Commission ......................................................................................... 1
The 2018 Commission .................................................................................................................... 2
Membership ................................................................................................................................ 2
Background to this Report .............................................................................................................. 2
Will History Repeat Itself? ......................................................................................................... 2
Work begins with a discussion of the 2014 report ...................................................................... 3
Meetings with county legislators ................................................................................................ 3
Commission Deliberations .............................................................................................................. 4
Salary Analyses ............................................................................................................................... 5
1. The Duties and Responsibilities of each Office ...................................................................... 5
Relevancy................................................................................................................................ 5
Analysis................................................................................................................................... 5
2. Salaries of Elected Officials in Other NYS Counties of Commensurate Population, Median
Family Income, and Median Real Estate Value.......................................................................... 7
Relevancy................................................................................................................................ 7
Analysis................................................................................................................................... 7
3. Salaries of (Somewhat) Analogous Officials in Erie County towns...................................... 9
Relevancy................................................................................................................................ 9
Analysis................................................................................................................................... 9
4. Salaries of Various Officials Reporting to Elected Administrators: Internal Equity.............. 9
Relevancy................................................................................................................................ 9
Analysis................................................................................................................................. 10
5. The Consumer Price Index since 1996 ................................................................................. 10
Relevancy.............................................................................................................................. 10
Analysis................................................................................................................................. 11
Comparison of Results .................................................................................................................. 11
Bringing Wages into Line after a 22-year Hiatus ......................................................................... 11
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 13
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 14
Salary ........................................................................................................................................ 14
v Page

 Process ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Appendix A: The 2018 Commission ........................................................................................... 15
Independence of Commissioners .............................................................................................. 15
Appendix B: Data and Other Relevant Information .................................................................... 17

List of Boxes and Tables

Table 1 Number of County Legislators .......................................................................................... 6
Table 2 Average Salaries for NYS's 57 Counties ........................................................................... 7
Table 3 Erie County Salaries vs. Comparable Counties (Standard of Living Measures) ............... 8
Table 4 All Statistical Comparisons of Salary Analyses .............................................................. 11
Table 5 Effect of One Percent Annual Increases .......................................................................... 12
Table 6 Legislatures Sorted by Population per Legislator ............................................................ 19
Table 7 NYS Counties - Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................. 20
Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by Median Income and Median Real Estate Value .................... 21
Table 9 NYS Counties Top 10 Population ................................................................................... 22
Table 10 NYS Counties Top 9 Population (Suffolk County removed) ........................................ 22
Table 11 NYS Counties Top 5 Population ................................................................................... 23
Table 12 NYS Counties Top 4 Population (Suffolk County Removed) ....................................... 23
Table 13 Salaries in Erie County's Cities and Ten Most Populous Towns................................... 24
Table 14 Internal Equity in Erie County Officials' Compensation ............................................... 25
Table 15 CPI 1996 and 2018 ........................................................................................................ 26
Box 1 Current Salaries of Erie County Elected Officials ............................................................... 2
Box 2 Questions for County Legislators ....................................................................................... 17
Box 3 Opinion on Gradual Salary Increases ................................................................................. 18

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 The Scenario in 1996
This is the 4th time in 22 years that the Citizen’s Salary Review Commission has convened to
consider the salaries of all elected Erie County officials. These officials have not received a raise
since 1996, back when Dennis Gorski was County Executive and Bill Clinton was President. A
great deal has changed in nearly a quarter century. In 1996 “Dolly” the sheep was cloned; Mad
Cow disease was identified; The Unabomber was captured; the Motorola Star-Tac flip phone
was released; DVDs were introduced; and, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 3!
The average price of a new car was $16,000 in 1996; Bill Belichick was fired from the Cleveland
Browns; The Macarena was the dance craze; and, the movie to see was Jerry Maguire (remember
Cuba Gooding, Jr. “Show Me the Money”?).
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In 1996 a gallon of gasoline cost $1.08; it is currently $2.99/gallon (a 277% increase).
The Dow Jones closed the year at 6,448; the Dow is currently 25,975 (a 402% increase).
The minimum wage was $4.25/hr.; it will rise to $12.75/hour at the end of 2018 (a 300%
increase).
The dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 2.95% per year since 1996.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average prices in 2018 are 60.62% higher
than in 1996.
To keep pace with the CPI, for example, the salary of $79,092 for the clerk and sheriff in
1996 would need to be $127,034 in 2018.

Who among us would suffer a job where no raises were granted in 22 years? Intuitively, salary
increases are in order. To determine if this intuition is accurate, this Commission collected and
examined data generally used to determine equitable compensation for public sector jobs. In this
report, we then analyze this information and report whether salary increases are warranted. This
scientific analysis can then be used by the legislature to make final decisions about 2018 salary
levels for Erie County elected officials.

Purpose and Charge of the Commission
The Citizens Salary Review Commission was established in 1986 as Article 22-B (now Article
22-A) of the Erie County Charter.
It is the purpose of this Commission to review the salaries of all elected County officials in the
County of Erie, other than the District Attorney. This Commission has been charged with the
responsibility of recommending to the Erie County Legislature salaries that are fair and
equitable.
The current salaries last set under the 1996 Erie County Citizens Salary Review Commission and
approved by the Erie County Legislature now under review are listed in Box 1 Current Salaries
of Erie County Elected Officials.
1 Page

 Box 1 Current Salaries of Erie County Elected Officials

County Executive
County Clerk
Comptroller
Sheriff
County Legislature Chair
Majority and Minority Leader
County Legislators

$ 103,248
79,092
80,613
79,092
52,588
47,588
42,588

The 2018 Commission
Membership

The commission consists of nine members representative of taxpayer, civic, labor, business,
professional, financial and minority groups in the county of Erie. Five (5) members of the
commission are appointed by the County Executive. Two (2) members of the commission are
appointed by the Legislature’s Majority, one (1) member is appointed by the Legislature’s
Minority and one (1) member is appointed by the County Comptroller.1
As provided in Section 22-A-01 of the Erie County Charter, the present Commission members
were appointed in August of 2018 for a period of three years. See for a list of appointees.

Background to this Report
Will History Repeat Itself?

The members of the Commission took seriously their responsibility to represent the taxpayers in
their deliberations, emphasizing both the importance of citizen “watchdogs” as provided in the
Erie County Charter, but also their role in ensuring Erie County elected officials are
compensated fairly.2 But weighing heavily in our deliberations was an acceptance that the 2014
commission also took their responsibilities seriously, conducted a thorough and reasoned study,
yet had their report rejected. The words “Dead on Arrival” were uttered more than once in
characterization of that report. Despite this concern, our Commission vowed to conduct an
impartial and scientifically reasoned analysis and arrive at wage determinations based on
generally-accepted compensation practices. This analysis unfolded as follows.

1

See http://www2.erie.gov/csrc/
A citizen salary commission, for example, could have prevented the significantly higher salaries in Bell City,
California, which came to light in an investigative series in the LA Times. Jeff Gottlieb; Ruben Vives (2010-0714). Bell city manager could possibly be highest paid in nation: $787,637 a year. Latimesblogs.latimes.com.
2

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 Work begins with a discussion of the 2014 report

The current commission began its work by studying the 2014 Commission report and reading the
media coverage surrounding the 2014 seating of the Commission, its report, and the economic
situation as detailed by the media and decisionmakers (chiefly county legislators).
The 2014 report left several questions unanswered, particularly:
1. Why did County Legislature reject the report’s recommendations?
2. Why did the report refer to, but not contain an analysis of internal equity?
3. To what extent was 2014 still considered a time of great economic hardship after the
Great Recession (which began in Fall 2007)?
4. Would the County Legislature be amenable to annual percent increases rather than lump
sum salary increases?
5. Would the County Legislature consider a lump sum increase, followed by annual
percentage increases tied to a generally-accepted percentage (such as collective bargained
county contracts or the CPI)?
Meetings with county legislators

The Commission agreed a delegation of commissioners should meet with county legislators.
Members volunteered based on availability given the short timeframe in which we operated.
Therefore, Don Allen, Pat Brady, Laurie Buonanno, Mike Lukasik, and Chris Stone attended two
meetings on September 20th – the first with minority legislators and the second with majority
legislators. The meetings’ discussions were based on the list of questions, provided in advance to
the legislators (see Box 2 Questions for County Legislators).
The Commission promised anonymity to the county legislators; therefore, these results will not
be reported by either name or whether the information was gathered in meetings with the
majority or minority caucus.
The Commission supplied the legislators in advance with the following data analyses:
1. Internal equity for Erie County elected officials compensation;
2. Salaries of comparable counties (eight counties removed with median income and median
real estate one standard deviation above the mean);
3. Salaries of the top five NYS counties in terms of population; and
4. Salaries of the top ten NYS counties in terms of population.

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 Commission Deliberations
This 2018 Commission met six times: August 30th, September 11th, 18th, 25th, and October 2nd
and 9th of 2018.3 This timeframe was modeled on the amount of time allocated by the 2014
Commission from start to finish.
These meetings were open to the public and minutes are posted to the Erie County Citizen Salary
Review Commission webpage at http://www2.erie.gov/csrc/.
Commissioners also met with county legislators on September 20, 2018.
The first meeting (August 30th) focused on the 2014 report and media coverage. The
Commissioners agreed to interview County Legislators about the 2014 report and their general
attitudes and concerns about the current charge. In the second meeting (September 11th),
Commissioners agreed to metrics that would be used to consider whether salary increases were
warranted, and if so, should the pay increases be given in a lump sum or based on an annual
percentage.
The Commission sought to triangulate both the data collection and data analysis to ensure we
considered the issue of salary levels from various perspectives.4
Based on internal deliberations, consultations with legislators, and a content analysis of the
salary issue as reported by the media, the Commission agreed the salary analysis would need to
be realistic and evidence-based. We also agreed our analyses would be informed by respect for
the citizen-taxpayers of Erie County and the cost of living in Erie County.
We undertook the following five-pronged analysis:
1. The duties and responsibilities of each office;
2. The salaries of elected officials in other New York State counties of commensurate
population, median family income, and median real estate value;
3. The salaries of somewhat analogous officials in Erie County towns;
4. The salaries of various department heads and personnel reporting to elected officials; and
5. Changes in the CPI since 1996.

3

We missed one week due to Labor Day weekend and the Chair having a previous out-of-town commitment.
Public administration research strives to conduct “mixed methods” research, which combines the collection and
analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. The best research should also strive to “triangulate” the data
collection, meaning we would assemble more than one type of quantitative and qualitative data and utilize them in
our examination. The Commission adopted both approaches in its research methodology.
4

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 Salary Analyses
1. The Duties and Responsibilities of Each Office

Relevancy
We collected wage data for other counties in New York State (NYS), but for these data to be
relevant we needed to make sure jobs had comparable responsibilities across counties, i.e.,
apples had to be compared to apples. To insure comparability in jobs, the Commission discussed
the role of counties in NYS governance. We also discussed each respective Erie County elected
official in comparison to other NYS counties, drawing on NYS documents, websites, and
materials available from the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC).
Analysis
Counties have a unique role in local government as geographic subdivisions of state government
or more colorfully referred to as “handmaidens of the state.” Unlike municipalities, which are
distinguished legally by being independent corporations, counties are “branch offices” of NYS
government.5
New York’s 576 counties located outside of the City of New York “carry out local functions
specified by the State of New York. These functions, which include maintaining records,
enforcing state laws, conducting elections for the state, and providing economic assistance
through social services programs…reflect the role of the county as a regional government…and
the structure of New York’s counties is fairly similar…”7
While we found the duties of the county clerk and county sheriff are long-established (dating
back to the early history of NYS local governance), and are quite similar across NYS counties,
variations among counties in terms of the county executive, comptroller, and legislator needed to
be examined more closely.
County Executive. Erie County is one of 23 “charter counties” (defined by an elected executive
or appointed administrative official), and one of just 18 counties with a county executive elected
in county-wide general elections.8 Based on Erie County’s “strong elected county executive

5

Smith, K. B. and A. Greenblatt. (2016). Governing States and Localities. 5th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press;
p. 352. SCOTUS Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote in Maryland ex. Rel. Washington County v. Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Co. (1845) counties “are nothing more than certain portions of the territory in which the state is divided for
the more convenient exercise of the powers of government.”
6
The five NYS boroughs are not considered comparable to the 57 NYS counties and are routinely excluded from
comparative analyses of NYS counties.
7
Pratt, Anastasia L. (2015, Spring). Our Evolving Counties: A History of New York State County Government.
NYSAC News Magazine. (p. 1). Retrieved from http://www.nysac.org/files/Our%20Evolving%20Counties%20%20history%20of%20NYS%20counties.pdf
8
Picente, A. and S. Acquario. (2015). County Government Organization in New York State. NYAC. Retrieved from
http://www.nysac.org/files/County%20Organization%20in%20NYS%20-%20Updated%202_18_15.pdf. Erie
County has been a charter county under NYS law since 1960.

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 system”9 we decided the comparable position was county executive rather than county
administrator (an appointed post).
County Comptroller. The majority of NYS counties have an elected treasurer instead of a
comptroller, and the elected treasurers’ functions do not have the same “watchdog” role as Erie
County’s comptroller.10 As with the 2014 CSRC, we used the comptroller averages, but we did
take note of the fact that most county treasurers are directly elected, and therefore directly
accountable to the voters (see the last column, Table 7 NYS Counties - Descriptive Statistics.)
County Legislators. Of the 18 counties with the county executive system,11 only two have fewer
legislators than Erie County (Montgomery, 9 legislators: population 49,258 and Putnam, 9
legislators: population 99,323). Table 6 Legislatures Sorted by Population per Legislator
contains comparable data for the ten most populous counties (all of which use the elected county
executive system). A portion of this table is replicated below.
Table 1 Number of County Legislators

County
Albany
Dutchess
Erie
Monroe
Nassau
Onondaga
Orange
Rockland
Suffolk
Westchester

Rank in
NYS
9
10
4
5
2
6
7
8
1
3

Populations Size
(2017 Estimate)
309,612
295,568
925,528
747,642
1,369,514
465,398
382,226
328,868
1,492,953
980,244

Number of
Legislators
39
25
11
29
19
17
21
17
18
17

Population per
Legislator
7,939
11,823
84,139
25,781
72,080
27,376
18,201
19,345
82,941
57,661

Here one can see the Erie County Legislature is an outlier with just 11 members. The average
number of legislators is 21 or 40,729 residents per legislator in these 10 counties. Erie County
with 11 legislators has the highest constituency ratio with 84,139 residents per legislator. Thus,
while the nature of the job of the county legislator in the elected county executive is the same,
the workload is clearly higher for Erie County legislators.
We also noted the Erie County Legislature has been reduced from 17 legislators to 11 legislators
in the period since 1996 when the last salary increase was granted.
***
9

Ibid, p. 30.
Erie County’s Comptroller is the county’s independent fiscal watchdog rather than the more limited role
“treasurer” implies. (See Picente and Acquario, pp. 31-32 and the Erie County’s Comptroller’s website at
http://www2.erie.gov/comptroller/index.php?q=comptroller039s-office.)
11
Counties with a county executive: Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Chemung, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe,
Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester.
10

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 Based on the Commission’s analysis and conclusions of the comparability of elected positions in
NYS counties, the Commission undertook a comprehensive salary analysis in the 57 counties.
Table 7 NYS Counties - Descriptive Statistics contains comprehensive salary data on each NYS
county. Table 2 Average Salaries for NYS's 57 Counties, below, provides averages for each of
the five elected positions and the percent difference between Erie County and all counties.
Table 2 Average Salaries for NYS's 57 Counties

Erie County
Salaries
County Executive
County Clerk
County Comptroller
County Sheriff
County Legislators

$103,248
$79,092
$80,613
$79,092
$42,588

Average
Salaries of
All Counties
$138,189
$82,046
$103,808
$96,377
$19,420

Percent
Difference
33.8% lower
3.7 % lower
28.8% lower
21.9 % lower
54.4% higher

2. Salaries of Elected Officials in Other NYS Counties of Commensurate Population, Median
Family Income, and Median Real Estate Value

Relevancy
The Legislature stressed that we look at similar counties to Erie County. For example, size of the
county could be considered a proxy for job difficulty, i.e. counties with more citizens should face
more demands on the elected officials. Legislators also asked us to provide salary comparisons
exclusive of Suffolk County (an outlier with considerably higher salaries than counties of
comparable population).
The Legislators were favorable to the idea of including an analysis considering comparable
counties based on median family income and median real estate value. Median family income
and median real estate prices are powerful indicators of cost of living; specifically, wages should
be related to prices in the local area, and housing is generally the largest expense in a family’s
budget. Housing costs vary considerably across counties and wages should reflect such
disparities. Government salaries for elected officials should not only be consistent with the
taxpayers’ ability to pay and standard of living (median family income), but also the ability of an
elected official to maintain a reasonable standard of living (e.g. carry a mortgage for which
median real estate value serves as a proxy).
Analysis
Filtering by median family income and median real estate value
Following best practices in statistical analysis, the Commission filtered counties by median
household income and median real estate value. Counties found to be one standard deviation
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 above the mean (eight counties12) and one standard deviation below the mean (no counties fell in
this range) were excluded from the analysis. Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by Median Income
and Median Real Estate Value contains the results of the filter.
The analysis indicated that the County Executive, County Sheriff, and County Comptroller13
have salaries lower than their counterparts in comparable counties. The County Clerk and
County Legislators, on the other hand, are compensated at salary levels higher than the average
for comparable counties. Table 3, below, contains a comparison of average salaries for the five
elected positions and the percent difference between Erie County and all counties.)
Table 3 Erie County Salaries vs. Comparable Counties (Standard of Living Measures)

Erie County
Salaries

County Executive
County Clerk
County Comptroller
County Sheriff
County Legislators

$103,248
$79,092
$80,613
$79,092
$42,588

Average
Salaries of
Comparable
Counties
$118,376
$73,332
$94,037
$89,343
$14,902

Percent
Difference

14.7% lower
7.3 % higher
16.7% lower
13.0 % lower
65.0% higher

As we can see from Table 3, Erie County Legislators earn substantially higher salaries than their
counterparts in peer counties, and this merits further analysis. The mean legislature base salary in
comparable counties is $14,902, while Erie County Legislators earn a base salary of $42,588.14
However, as hinted at in Analysis #1, a more nuanced picture emerges. We found that in the top
ten most populous counties, the average number of legislators is 21 or 40,729 residents per
legislator in these counties. Erie County with 11 legislators has the highest constituency ratio
with 84,139 residents per legislator. Therefore, while Erie County Legislators are compensated
(substantially) higher than legislators in comparable counties, their workload is likely higher too,
and perhaps quite considerably so.
By county population
We also analyzed salaries for the top 10 and top 5 counties, and, also calculated average salaries after
removing Suffolk County from the analysis. (See Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, and Table 12 in Appendix
B: Data and Other Relevant Information.)

12

Counties eliminated: Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Westchester.
As with the 2014 CSRC, we used the comptroller averages, but report in this footnote the average for elected
treasurers in comparable counties to assist Erie County Legislators in considering salaries. Chenango County is
eliminated from the calculations because this county does not elect its treasurer. Therefore, the average elected
county treasurer’s salary is $73,705 (rather than $73,754 from Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by Median Income
and Median Real Estate Value).
14
The standard deviation is $6612. Therefore, one standard deviation above the mean is $21,514; two standard
deviations above the mean is $28,125 ($21,514 + $6612); three standard deviations above the mean is $34,738
($28,125 + $6612); and, four standard deviations above the mean is $41,350 ($34,738 +$6612), making Erie County
a substantial outlier with respect to Legislator salaries.
13

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 Because three of the five most populous counties are in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan
area, median family income and median real estate value reflect the NYC, rather than the
Western New York cost of living.15 So, too, looking at the ten most populous counties, half of
the counties are not comparable to Erie County with respect to cost of living. Removal of Suffolk
County from the analysis made little difference in this respect.
Therefore, the Commission concluded the relevant benchmark salaries would need to be based
on Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by Median Income and Median Real Estate Value.
3. Salaries of (Somewhat) Analogous Officials in Erie County Towns

Relevancy
Several Legislators asked the Commission to provide a table comparing elected officials’ salaries
in municipalities located in Erie County, specifically town clerks (compare with Erie County
Clerk), police chiefs (compare with Erie County Sheriff), town supervisors (compare with
County Executive), and town treasurer (compare with Erie County Comptroller).
Analysis
Table 13 Salaries in Erie County's Cities and Ten Most Populous Towns reports salaries of town
supervisors, clerks, treasurers, and police chief, along with the size of the police department in
the largest 10 towns and the three cities in Erie County. Table 13 shows that municipal police
chiefs are all compensated at a higher salary than the Erie County Sheriff, ranging from
$100,611 (City of Tonawanda) to $186,788 (Town of Orchard Park).
However, the Commission agreed that “town supervisor” is not an exact equivalent to “county
executive” because of their disparate responsibilities. This is also the case for the other positions,
where for example the Erie County Sheriff is responsible for maintaining two correctional
facilities. Therefore, while interesting data, they are not particularly instructive in making salary
recommendations other than to demonstrate a wide salary disparity between municipal police
chiefs and the County Sheriff (the latter having more responsibility than his/her counterparts in
the municipalities), yet with a considerably lower salary than town police chiefs.
4. Salaries of Various Officials Reporting to Elected Administrators: Internal Equity

Relevancy
Internal equity is the pay of an employee relative to the pay that the other employees of the same
organization are receiving. It is the assurance that the employer pays salaries which are
commensurate to each job's internal value.16

15

Both Erie and Monroe Counties are more than one standard deviation below the mean in both median household
income and median real estate value among NYS’s 10 most populated counties. These disparities are replicated in a
data analysis of NYS’s 5 most populated counties. See Table 11 and Table 12.
16
External compensation equity is the pay of an employee relative to the pay of employees of other organizations.

9 Page

 The concern is that underpaying elected officials may lead to a situation where either only
unqualified or wealthy individuals will run for these offices or will succumb to the temptation to
take on additional part-time employment.17 In addition, underpaying for these influential roles
may create an environment ripe for corruption to compensate for the lack of fair pay.
From an internal equity standpoint, the compensation of elected officials is compared to the
compensation paid to others in the same or similar departments. The responsibilities of each job
are compared and measured against the compensation differences to determine fairness.
Analysis
Table 14 provides data on internal equity. There are scores of officials with a base salary higher
than that of elected officials’ salaries. Examples include the Under Sheriff at $123,606
(compared to the Sheriff at $79,092); the First Deputy County Clerk at $102,742 (compared to
the County Clerk at $79,092); the Deputy Comptroller – Audit at $124,488 (compared to the
County Comptroller at $80,613); and the Deputy County Executive at $142,572 (compared to the
County Executive at $103,428). Furthermore, subordinates can increase their income beyond
their base salary upwards of 50 percent through other compensation not afforded to elected
officials such as overtime, shift differential, and lineup pay.
One drawback of using internal equity as a basis for salary determinations is that elected officials
are often not career county employees, where their deputies often are. Furthermore, the salaries
of deputies can drop substantially when an individual retires from the position and an employee
with fewer years in county employment takes his or her place. How, then, do we determine what
is the comparable internal equity?
Finally, County Legislators expressed the view it isn’t practicable18 to use internal equity as a
basis from which to recommend salaries. Nevertheless, the Commission determined it is still
useful to be aware of the sometimes quite large disparities in salary between elected officials and
their immediate subordinates.
5. The Consumer Price Index Since 1996
Relevancy

According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the Consumer Price
Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a
market basket of consumer goods and services.”19 The CPI and variations in this index are
commonly used for “escalation” (inflation) calculations.

17

See, for example, The Buffalo News, Op-Ed (2014, July 15), “Howard Should Have Known that a Full-time
Sheriff Can’t Take a Part-time Job,” retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2014/07/15/howard-should-haveknown-that-a-full-time-sheriff-cant-take-a-part-time-job/.
18
Indeed, higher salaries for deputies and career employees compared to elected officials are a fact of life in
government employment at the local, state, and federal levels.
19
US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-andanswers.htm.

10   P a g e

 Analysis

Table 15 CPI 1996 and 2018 contains calculations based on the CPI. So, for example, the current
County Executive’s salary of $103,248 (the same since 1996) equates to $164,978 in 2018 (a
59.8% increase). This CPI-based salary level is $26,789 higher than the salary average of all
county executives. (See Table 7 NYS Counties - Descriptive Statistics.) The CPI would suggest a
salary of $68,051 for County Legislators, which is $48,631 above the average for NYS county
legislators. Therefore, the CPI inflation calculator could not realistically serve as the basis for
concrete salary recommendations given the Commission’s criteria (realistic, respect for citizentaxpayers, cost of living in Erie County).

Comparison of Results
Table 4 summarizes the findings of the various statistical analyses for the reader’s convenience.
As can be seen, salaries based on Median Family Income (and Median Real Estate Value) are
quite modest compared to the CPI inflation calculator and internal equity.

Table 4 All Statistical Comparisons of Salary Analyses
COMPARISONS
Top 5 Counties by population
Top 10 Counties by population
All Counties
Median Family Income
CPI Inflation (1996-2018)
Internal Equity (highest paid
subordinate)
Current Salaries EC Elected
Officials

Executive

Comptroller

Sheriff

Legislator

$156,587
$150,804
$138,189
$118,376
$164,978
$151,697

$135,436
$121,391
$82,046
$73,332
$126,380
$104,342

$123,457
$111,687
$103,808
$94,037
$128,810
$124,967

$142,736
$133,933
$96,377
$89,343
$126,380
$125,368

$50,028
$37,655
$19,420
$14,902
$68,051
$92,803

$103,248

$79,092

$80,613

$79,092

$42,588

Mayor Supervisor
Municipal Average (10 Towns & 3
Cities in Erie County)

Clerk

$76,442

Clerk

$77,502

Finance
Director

Police
Chief

$78,043 $137,258

Bringing Wages into Line after a 22-year Hiatus
The Commission members floated the idea of percentage increases in their meetings with County
legislators, which seemed to have some appeal to the latter. County legislators supported the idea
11   P a g e

 of checking with the Erie County Attorney as to whether percentage increases were permissible
under the Erie County Charter.
See Box 3 Opinion on Gradual Salary Increases for a summary of the results of the
Commission’s inquiry into this option. Therefore, it does appear the Erie County Charter does
not prevent legislators from approving annual salary increases, so long as any increases conform
to the County Charter’s express prohibitions (e.g. the year a real property tax increase is levied).
Our Commission discussed several possibilities as the basis for an annual percentage increase,
such as tying elected officials’ salary increases to CSEA annual contract increase (which is
currently used as the basis for salary increments for Management Confidential employees who
work for all elected officials), the CPI, or a percentage of the CPI.20 For purposes of illustration
as to the small impact of a portion of CPI (such as one percent) on salary outlays, we have
provided calculations in Table 5 Effect of One Percent Annual Increases (below) using average
salaries in comparable counties as the baseline.
Table 5 Effect of One Percent Annual Increases

Erie County
Salaries
County Executive
County Clerk
County Comptroller
County Sheriff
County Legislators

$103,248
$79,092
$80,613
$79,092
$42,588

Salaries in
One Percent
Comparable COLA (annual
Counties
basis – Year 1)
$118,376
$119, 560
$79,092
$79,883
$94,037
$94,977
$89,343
$90,236
$42,588
No annual
increment
recommended at
this time21

One Percent
COLA (annual
basis – Year 2)
$120,756
$80,682
$95,927
$91,138
No annual
increment
recommended at
this time

20

The difficulty in using CSEA as the basis for salary increments, is that this is perceived by some County
Legislators as a possible conflict of interest for the County Executive. This would be the case because a county
executive negotiated CSEA contracts could be perceived as negotiating his or her own raise. Another pitfall is that
the other collective bargaining units (e.g. AFSCME, PBA, Teamsters, ECCFF, ECC Admin, NYSNA, and
Librarians) might perceive the CSEA as advantaged in negotiations with the County, and it could provide an
incentive to come to agreement with CSEA more so than others. (This footnote is based on information shared by
some members of the County Legislature with the Commission.)
21
The rationale here is that Erie County legislatures are presently compensated at a level four standard deviations
about the mean with respect to comparable counties.

12   P a g e

 Conclusions
Citizen salary commissions must be realistic about recommending salary increases. While the
notion of not receiving a raise since 1996 seems shocking, it is important to recognize that this is
an office, not an individual. Elected administrators remain in office for two (terms of county
legislators), four, eight, and perhaps even twelve years or more (legislators, on average, have the
most incumbency longevity). Elected offices are also prestigious, involve quite interesting work,
and can be a stepping stone to other equally interesting career challenges.
Nevertheless, the several analyses do converge with respect to lower than average salaries in
NYS counties for some elected officials. (See Table 4 All Statistical Comparisons of Salary
Analyses on p. 11.)
***
The Commission decided to adopt the most conservative analysis (having the smallest wage
impact) as the basis for salary recommendations, which can be found in Table 8 NYS Counties
Filtered by Median Income and Median Real Estate Value. (See highlighted row for average
salaries of elected officials in comparable counties.) We explained the methodology and
rationale for this data analysis in 2. Salaries of Elected Officials in Other NYS Counties of
Commensurate Population, Median Family Income, and Median Real Estate Value.

13   P a g e

 Recommendations
Based upon the analyses and discussion presented in this report, the Commission unanimously
makes the following salary recommendations. These recommendations are based on the average
salaries for elected officials in comparable counties (cf. Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by
Median Income and Median Real Estate Value on p. 21 and Table 4 All Statistical Comparisons
of Salary Analyses on p. 11).
Salary

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The County Executive position have a salary of $118,376.
The County Comptroller position have a salary of $94,037.
The County Sheriff position have a salary of $89,343.
The County Clerk position have a salary of $79,092. (no change)
The members of the Erie County Legislature have a salary of $42,588. (no change)
The Majority and Minority Leaders of the Erie County Legislature have a salary of
$47,588. (no change)
7. The Legislative Chair of the Erie County Legislature have a salary of $52,588. (no
change)
8. After the salary of the County Executive has been increased (after the next election
of this office), there should be an annual increase tied to the CPI.
9. After the salary of the County Comptroller has been increased (after the next
election of this office), there should be an annual increase tied to the CPI.
10. After the salary of the County Sheriff has been increased (after the next election of
this office), there should be an annual increase tied to the CPI.
11. The County Clerk (after the next election of this office) should have an annual
increase tied to the CPI.
Process

1. These salary increases should go into effect after the next election of each elected
official per County Charter specifications.
2. The County Legislature should provide annual salary increases as recommended
in this report.
3. The County Attorney author legislation that reflects the above recommendation to
be forwarded to the Erie County Executive and the Erie County Legislature.
4. The Commission be activated and organized to ensure that a salary
recommendation is made every two years as prescribed by law.
5. This Commission is empaneled until August 1, 2021 and as such is available for
your future needs.

14   P a g e

 Appendix A: The 2018 Commission
Independence of Commissioners

The Commission members received their appointments letters to their home addresses. Each
Commission member confirmed (September 20 meeting with county legislators) they did not
speak with the officer who appointed them, namely, the County Executive, Majority Legislature,
Minority Legislature, and County Comptroller. The members did not receive indications of any
kind from any elected officer in terms of whether he or she desired no change, an increase, or
decrease in elected officials’ salaries. The Commission has worked independently of political
bodies in its deliberations.
County Executive Appointments
Mr. Owen Patrick Brady (27 years of experience in Commercial Banking, Commercial Real
Estate Development and Property Management, and Consulting)
Dr. Laurie A. Buonanno (elected by the Commission members to serve as Chair, is a professor
of public administration and political science at SUNY Buffalo State where she teaches in the
Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management [MPA] program. Her scholarship
focuses on comparative public administration and policy, regulatory policies, and bureaucratic
behavior)
Dr. Jerry Newman (SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, Emeritus, University at Buffalo,
SUNY, School of Management and an expert on compensation and co-author of the book
Compensation [McGraw-Hill], now in its 13th ed)
Mr. William Ransom, Jr. (Forty years of broadcast experience in small, medium and large
markets, in positions of Sales and Management. Last 19 years as President and General Manager
of ABC Affiliate, WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York)
Mr. Christopher Stone (President and Business Agent, United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 276)
Majority Legislature Appointments
Mr. Michael J. Lukasik (Human Resources [ret], University at Buffalo, SUNY Research
Foundation)
Ms. Tiffany Perry (Court Attorney Referee, presiding over Custody, Visitation and Family
Offense and Permanency hearings and was a member of the Erie County Charter Review
Committee)
Minority Legislature Appointment
Mr. Louis Panzica (President and CEO of Power Drives, Inc. Mr. Panzica is a CPA and leads
Power Drives, Inc. a Manufacturing company with over 200 employees and plants in New York,
Pennsylvania and China)
15   P a g e

 County Comptroller
Mr. Donald Allen (City of Buffalo 1978-2005: Commissioner of Community Services, under
Mayor Antony M. Masiello, Commissioner of Human Resources under Mayor James D. Griffin,
since 2010 Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sheriff, Professional Standards Division)

[This space intentionally left blank]

16   P a g e

 Appendix B: Data and Other Relevant Information
Box 2 Questions for County Legislators

Salary Review Commission – 2018 Anonymous Interview Questions
1. Do you think Erie Co. elected office(s) are compensated fairly?
2. Which ones are not? Why do you believe that is the case?
3. Do you consider the Legislator position to be Part-time or Full-time?
4. Do you think that the pool of qualified candidates for EC elected office would increase with
higher compensation level(s)?
5. What do you believe is a fair compensation level for EC elected officials?
6. What data analysis do you need to make an informed decision on our recommendations?
7. Why were the Commission’s recommendations voted down in 2014?
8. What was wrong with the Commission’s methodology in 2014?
9. Would raises be more acceptable to the legislature if step-increases were recommended?

Note: responses to these questions are held in anonymity, (your name will not appear on this
questionnaire.) Your responses along with the other elected officials will be used to help the
Citizen’s Salary Review Commission make an informed, practical and reasoned recommendation
to Erie County.

17   P a g e

 Box 3 Opinion on Gradual Salary Increases
From: Polowy, Martin
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 4:03 PM
To: Bylewski, Scott
Cc: Siragusa, Michael
Subject: RE: Citizens Salary Commission
Scott,
The procedure for increasing the salary of the elected officials (excluding the DA) are found in section 202.3 of
the Charter.
Section 202.3. Increasing the salaries of County elected officials. The Erie County Legislature is hereby
prohibited from changing the salary of any County elected official, excluding the District Attorney, except in
accordance with the following procedure:
1. Prior to acting upon the Citizens Salary Review Commission's biennial report, the County Legislature shall
hold at least one public hearing to solicit public input on said commission's recommendations.
2. Notices of all such public hearings shall be published at least once in the official newspaper or newspapers of
the County and in such other newspapers as the County Legislature may direct. At least five days but not more
than ten days shall elapse between the first publication of such notice and the date specified for the hearing.
3. The County Legislature shall have one year from the date said recommendations are submitted to adopt,
modify, or reject the recommendations of the Citizens Salary Review Commission.
4. Any salaries approved by the County Legislature in excess of those recommended by the Citizens Salary
Review Commission shall be approved by a vote of at least two thirds of all the members of the County
Legislature.
5. The County Legislature shall specifically establish the effective date of any adjustments in the salaries of
elected County officials. No increase in the salary of an elected official shall be permitted for any fiscal year in
which there is an increase in the real property full value tax rate over the real property full value tax rate of the
previous fiscal year.
6. The County Legislature's review of salaries as set forth above shall occur during every even year starting with
nineteen hundred eighty six. No increase in the salary of any County elected official shall take effect until the
current term of office of the elected official that is to receive an increase in salary has ended.
It appears that the Legislature in amending the Charter allowed for the possibility to have a one-time action,
outside of the budget process, provide for multiple year adjustments (section 202.3(5)) and also for future year
adjustments (section 202.3(6)). Those adjustments however are only permitted in fiscal years where there is no
increase in the real property full value tax rate over the real property full value tax rate of the previous fiscal year
and where the increase takes effect after the current term of office of the elected official that is to receive an
increase in salary has ended. Accordingly there is a possibility that the adopted increase does not actually take
effect.
Martin Polowy   Assistant County Attorney
Erie County   Department of Law
95 Franklin St., 1634   Buffalo, NY 14202
P:+1(716)858-2233   F:+1(716)858-2281
Martin.Polowy@erie.gov<mailto:Martin.Polowy@erie.gov>   http://www.erie.gov

18   P a g e

 Table 6 Legislatures Sorted by Population per Legislator
County

Rank
in
NYS

Populations
Size (2017
Estimate)

Number of
Legislators

Population
per
Legislator

Legislator
Base
Salary

Median
Household
Income

Albany

9

309,612

39

7,939

$23,085

$60,904

Median
Real
Estate
Value
$211,100

Dutchess

10

295,568

25

11,823

$15,450

$72,706

$274,300

Erie

4

925,528

11

84,139

$42,588

$52,744

$134,600

Monroe

5

747,642

29

25,781

$18,000

$53568

$140,200

Nassau

2

1,369,514

19

72,080

$39,500

$102,044

$451,700

Onondaga

6

465,398

17

27,376

$25,591

$55,717

$137,000

Orange

7

382,226

21

18,201

$29,697

$71,910

$258,700

Rockland

8

328,868

17

19,345

$32,587

$86,134

$420,700

Suffolk

1

1,492,953

18

82,941

$100,854

$90,128

$376,000

Westchester

3

980,244

17

57,661

$49,200

$86,226

$507,300

Allegany

52

46,894

15

3,126

$12,500

$44,085

$72,100

Cattaraugus

35

77,348

16

4,834

$12,481

$43,844

$85,100

Chautauqua

23

129,046

19

6,792

$9,000

$43,211

$85,500

Genesee

44

57,956

9

6,439

n/a

$52.642

$108,700

Niagara

18

211,328

15

14,089

$19,075

$50,094

$56,253

Orleans

54

40,983

7

5,855

$10,948

$48,731

$$92,000

Wyoming

55

40,493

16

2,531

n/a

$53,612

$104,200

Regional
Counties:

19   P a g e

 Table 7 NYS Counties - Descriptive Statistics
County
Albany
Allegany
Broome
Cattaraugus
Cayuga
Chautauqua
Chemung
Chenango
Clinton
Columbia
Cortland
Delaware
Dutchess
Erie
Essex
Franklin
Fulton
Genesee
Greene
Hamilton
Herkimer
Jefferson
Lewis
Livingston
Madison
Monroe
Montgomery
Nassau
Niagara
Oneida
Onondaga
Ontario
Orange
Orleans
Oswego
Otsego
Putnam
Rensselaer
Rockland
Saratoga
Schenectady
Schoharie
Schuyler
Seneca
St. lawrence
Steuben
Suffolk
Sullivan
Tioga
Tompkins
Ulster
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Westchester
Wyoming
Yates

Median
Leg
Population Size Rank
Median Real
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
(2017 Estimate) In NYS
Estate Value
Income
Comm
309,612
9
$60,904
$211,100
$38,477
$29,872 $23,084
46,894
47
$44,085
$72,100
$8,500
$8,500
$8,500
193,639
14
$47,744
$112,300
$7,500
$12,500 $12,500
77,348
30
$43,884
$85,100
$23,710
$12,481 $12,481
77,603
29
$53,114
$117,800
$30,000
$10,100 $10,100
129,046
18
$43,211
$85,500
$17,000
$10,000
$9,000
85,557
27
$49,578
$101,800
$37,895
$18,333 $15,790
47,863
44
$46,979
$93,400
$41,774
80,980
28
$50,502
$127,500
$17,500
$15,000
60,604
37
$59,916
$222,300
$30,000
$17,000 $12,000
47,786
45
$50,910
$111,400
$19,000
$10,650
45,001
48
$46,055
$135,200
$48,622
295,568
10
$72,706
$274,300
$32,960
$23,690 $15,450
925,528
4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
37,956
51
$53,244
$144,100
51,116
41
$49,782
$100,900
$18,000
$15,000
53,877
40
$46,090
$108,300
$10,665
$8,102
57,956
39
$52,641
$108,700
$15,943
47,470
46
$51,013
$175,900
$15,000
$15,000 $15,000
4,485
57
$52,708
$165,500
62,240
35
$48,893
$97,300
$13,000
$8,500
$7,500
114,187
20
$49,911
$144,400
$23,021
$14,394
26,551
54
$49,976
$122,000
$10,000
$8,500
63,779
34
$52,724
$123,000
70,965
32
$55,858
$128,000
$31,914
$15,957
747,642
5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
49,258
43
$44,455
$99,100
$15,000
$10,000
1,369,514
2
$102,044
$451,700
$67,500
$67,500 $39,500
211,328
13
$50,094
$56,253
$22,075
$19,575 $19,075
231,332
11
$49,838
$117,600
$28,000
$22,000 $16,000
465,398
6
$55,717
$137,000
$46,615
$31,608 $25,591
109,899
22
$58,070
$148,400
$25,296
$14,076
382,226
7
$71,910
$258,700
$49,684
$36,436 $29,697
40,983
49
$48,731
$92,000
$16,424
$10,948 $10,948
118,478
19
$49,571
$96,000
$28,810
$15,715 $13,096
60,094
38
$49,689
$140,600
$19,834
$10,500
99,323
24
$97,606
$354,800
$35,839
$35,839 $35,839
159,722
16
$61,754
$180,700
$30,000
$25,000 $20,000
328,868
8
$86,134
$420,700
$40,805
$32,587
229,869
12
$46,313
$87,400
$25,690
$18,878
155,565
17
$74,080
$238,600
$16,499
$15,499
31,420
53
$59,959
$165,000
18,000
56
$50,607
$143,700
$5,448
$9,500
34,498
52
$47,229
$111,300
$16,715
109,623
21
$50,073
$98,200
$14,000
$9,000
96,281
25
$48,823
$94,300
$20,000
$12,500
1,492,953
1
$90,128
$376,000
$100,854
$100,854 $100,854
75,485
31
$52,027
$165,900
$31,600
$22,600
48,578
42
$58,115
$112,300
$33,067
$10,225
104,802
23
$54,133
$182,600
$32,100
$21,400
179,417
15
$60,393
$219,800
$19,500
$12,000 $10,000
64,532
33
$57,174
$191,500
$38,723
61,620
36
$51,449
$143,900
$32,415
$18,216
90,670
26
$51,627
$115,100
$38,163
$16,258
980,244
3
$86,226
$507,300
$49,200
$49,200 $49,200
40,493
50
$53,612
$104,200
$73,856
24,955
55
$50,105
$126,900
$8,183

County
Executive

County
Admin

$125,559
$92,083
$94,744
$97,500
$92,500
$166,273
$107,569
$92,475
$107,800
$139,869
$103,438
$76,000
$104,935
$132,000
$94,497
$131,047
$130,000
$105,000
$120,000
$85,000
$174,614
$105,000
$140,000
$122,413
$182,177
$91,590
$108,128
$148,635
$121,300
$155,087

$139,066

$224,125

$108,202
$80,372
$111,784
$123,450

$133,572

$160,760

$94,964
$63,063
$122,337
$95,627

Sheriff

Clerk

$114,361 $105,766
$73,954 $74,154
$91,578 $81,606
$86,000 $75,534
$82,621 $73,937
$82,500 $55,500
$113,686 $88,466
$84,388 $66,547
$75,580 $59,379
$92,684 $65,160
$74,965 $64,871
$74,751 $54,000
$125,664 $106,023
$79,092 $79,092
$90,486 $74,944
$45,500 $18,200
$63,633 $63,633
$102,423 $92,674
$109,000 $69,000
$70,233
$82,333
$73,517
$99,200
$94,044
$123,030
$85,838
$174,578
$115,048
$115,000
$110,120
$119,771
$140,988
$70,189
$90,555
$64,461
$142,818
$99,600
$143,322
$120,240
$90,668
$81,170
$69,573
$71,365
$77,878
$68,650
$194,243
$92,529
$83,000
$97,362
$101,706
$105,447
$87,804
$114,248

$60,802
$73,100
$59,813
$85,125
$69,257
$81,000
$69,529
$166,300
$96,595
$85,000
$78,654
$79,007
$107,650
$64,571
$81,642
$54,185
$119,494
$102,000
$138,640
$109,956
$85,750
$81,170
$57,573
$67,463
$67,599
$56,742
$197,681
$82,775
$61,000
$79,062
$101,709
$78,477
$72,153
$85,943
$153,105
$78,303 $55,000
$89,052 $60,590

MEAN
196,959
$56,253
$161,057
$29,792
$25,533 $19,420 $138,189 $104,881 $96,377 $82,046
SD
310,342
$13,152
$94,799
$18,119
$20,820 $15,859 $35,679
$18,554 $27,227 $29,357
1 SD above M
507,302
$69,405
$255,857
$47,911
$46,353 $35,279 $173,869 $123,435 $123,604 $111,403
1 SD below M
(113)
$43,101
$66,258
$11,673
$4,713
$3,561 $102,510
$86,328 $69,150 $52,689
NOTES:
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

Comptroller

Treas

Treasurer Elected

$111,785
$83,400
$96,473
$63,800
$73,937

Y
Y

$125,998
$75,511
$59,379
$65,069
$39,101
$66,778

Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y

$74,280
$41,860
$63,633
$95,375
$94,083

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

$56,674
$73,100
$76,296
$85,125
$95,425

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

$71,625
$93,164

Y
N
Y

$68,747

Y

$64,571
$81,642
$65,878

Y
Y
Y

$99,937
$80,613

$166,300
$73,844
$99,800

$105,686
$81,170
$54,808
$35,000
$67,599

$84,308
$63,000

Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y

$101,709

$103,808
$28,015
$131,823
$75,792

$97,784
$84,937
$78,588

Y

$56,000
$65,576

Y
Y

$73,754
$18,467
$92,222
$55,287

20   P a g e

Y

 Table 8 NYS Counties Filtered by Median Income and Median Real Estate Value
County
Albany
Allegany
Broome
Cattaraugus
Cayuga
Chautauqua
Chemung
Chenango
Clinton
Columbia
Cortland
Delaware
Erie
Essex
Franklin
Fulton
Genesee
Greene
Hamilton
Herkimer
Jefferson
Lewis
Livingston
Madison
Monroe
Montgomery
Niagara
Oneida
Onondaga
Ontario
Orleans
Oswego
Otsego
Rensselaer
Saratoga
Schoharie
Schuyler
Seneca
St. lawrence
Steuben
Sullivan
Tioga
Tompkins
Ulster
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Wyoming
Yates
MEAN
SD
1 SD above M
1 SD below M

Population
Median
Leg
Rank
Median Real
Size (2017
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
In NYS
Estate Value
Estimate)
Income
Comm
309,612
9
$60,904
$211,100
$38,477
$29,872 $23,084
46,894
47
$44,085
$72,100
$8,500
$8,500
$8,500
193,639
14
$47,744
$112,300
$7,500
$12,500 $12,500
77,348
30
$43,884
$85,100
$23,710
$12,481 $12,481
77,603
29
$53,114
$117,800
$30,000
$10,100 $10,100
129,046
18
$43,211
$85,500
$17,000
$10,000
$9,000
85,557
27
$49,578
$101,800
$37,895
$18,333 $15,790
47,863
44
$46,979
$93,400
$41,774
80,980
28
$50,502
$127,500
$17,500
$15,000
60,604
37
$59,916
$222,300
$30,000
$17,000 $12,000
47,786
45
$50,910
$111,400
$19,000
$10,650
45,001
48
$46,055
$135,200
$48,622
925,528
4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
37,956
51
$53,244
$144,100
51,116
41
$49,782
$100,900
$18,000
$15,000
53,877
40
$46,090
$108,300
$10,665
$8,102
57,956
39
$52,641
$108,700
$15,943
47,470
46
$51,013
$175,900
$15,000
$15,000 $15,000
4,485
57
$52,708
$165,500
62,240
35
$48,893
$97,300
$13,000
$8,500
$7,500
114,187
20
$49,911
$144,400
$23,021
$14,394
26,551
54
$49,976
$122,000
$10,000
$8,500
63,779
34
$52,724
$123,000
70,965
32
$55,858
$128,000
$31,914
$15,957
747,642
5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
49,258
43
$44,455
$99,100
$15,000
$10,000
211,328
13
$50,094
$51,543
$22,075
$19,575 $19,075
231,332
11
$49,838
$117,600
$28,000
$22,000 $16,000
465,398
6
$55,717
$137,000
$46,615
$31,608 $25,591
109,899
22
$58,070
$148,400
$25,296
$14,076
40,983
49
$48,731
$92,000
$16,424
$10,948 $10,948
118,478
19
$49,571
$96,000
$28,810
$15,715 $13,096
60,094
38
$49,689
$140,600
$19,834
$10,500
159,722
16
$61,754
$180,700
$30,000
$25,000 $20,000
229,869
12
$46,313
$87,400
$25,690
$18,878
31,420
53
$59,959
$165,000
18,000
56
$50,607
$143,700
$5,448
$9,500
34,498
52
$47,229
$111,300
$16,715
109,623
21
$50,073
$98,200
$14,000
$9,000
96,281
25
$48,823
$94,300
$20,000
$12,500
75,485
31
$52,027
$165,900
$31,600
$22,600
48,578
42
$58,115
$112,300
$33,067
$10,225
104,802
23
$54,133
$182,600
$32,100
$21,400
179,417
15
$60,393
$219,800
$19,500
$12,000 $10,000
64,532
33
$57,174
$191,500
$38,723
61,620
36
$51,449
$143,900
$32,415
$18,216
90,670
26
$51,627
$115,100
$38,163
$16,258
40,493
50
$53,612
$104,200
$73,856
24,955
55
$50,105
$126,900
$8,183
124947
170702
295649
-45755

$51,543
$4,608
$56,151
$46,934

$128,438
$37,711
$166,148
$90,727

$26,347
$14,261
$40,608
$12,086

$18,019
$9,778
$27,797
$8,240

County
Executive

County
Admin

$125,559
$92,083
$94,744
$97,500
$92,500
$166,273
$107,569
$92,475
$107,800
$103,438
$76,000
$104,935
$132,000
$94,497
$131,047
$130,000
$105,000
$120,000
$85,000
$105,000
$140,000
$122,413
$91,590
$108,128
$121,300
$139,066
$108,202
$80,372
$111,784

$133,572

$14,902 $118,376
$6,612 $24,020
$21,514 $142,396
$8,290 $94,356

$94,964
$63,063
$95,627

Sheriff

Clerk

$114,361 $105,766
$73,954 $74,154
$91,578 $81,606
$86,000 $75,534
$82,621 $73,937
$82,500 $55,500
$113,686 $88,466
$84,388 $66,547
$75,580 $59,379
$92,684 $65,160
$74,965 $64,871
$74,751 $54,000
$79,092 $79,092
$90,486 $74,944
$45,500 $18,200
$63,633 $63,633
$102,423 $92,674
$109,000 $69,000
$70,233 $60,802
$82,333 $73,100
$73,517 $59,813
$99,200 $85,125
$94,044 $69,257
$123,030 $81,000
$85,838 $69,529
$115,048 $96,595
$115,000 $85,000
$110,120 $78,654
$119,771 $79,007
$70,189 $64,571
$90,555 $81,642
$64,461 $54,185
$99,600 $102,000
$120,240 $109,956
$81,170 $81,170
$69,573 $57,573
$71,365 $67,463
$77,878 $67,599
$68,650 $56,742
$92,529 $82,775
$83,000 $61,000
$97,362 $79,062
$101,706 $101,709
$105,447 $78,477
$87,804 $72,153
$114,248 $85,943
$78,303 $55,000
$89,052 $60,590

$103,244 $89,343
$18,528 $17,699
$121,772 $107,042
$84,716 $71,644

$73,332
$16,235
$89,567
$57,098

Comptroller

Treasurer

Treas
Elected

$111,785
$83,400
$96,473
$63,800
$73,937

Y
Y

$125,998
$75,511
$59,379
$65,069
$39,101
$66,778

Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y

$74,280
$41,860
$63,633
$95,375
$94,083

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

$56,674
$73,100
$76,296
$85,125
$95,425

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

$71,625
$93,164

Y
Y

$68,747
$64,571
$81,642
$65,878

Y
Y
Y
Y

$80,613

$73,844
$99,800

$105,686
$81,170
$54,808
$35,000
$67,599
$84,308
$63,000

Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y

$101,709
$97,784
$84,937
$78,588
$56,000
$65,576
$94,037
$14,149
$108,186
$79,888

Y
Y
Y
Y

$73,754
$18,467
$92,222
$55,287

NOTES:
Counties Filtered
Counties filtered by 1 SD above/below MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME (8 counties removed) then Median Real Estate Value (none removed)
No counties 1 SD below the mean in median household income and median real estate value.
Counties Eliminated : Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Westchester
With these counties removed:
Erie County's population is more than 4 standard deviations above the mean.
The median household income & median real estate prices after removing eight counties is quite comparable to Erie County's.
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Bolded values indicate the elected official salary has been raised since 2014
Italicized values indicate the elected official salary has decreased since 2014
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

21   P a g e

 Table 9 NYS Counties Top 10 Population
County
Albany
Dutchess
Erie
Monroe
Nassau
Onondaga
Orange
Rockland
Suffolk
Westchester

Population
Median
Leg
Rank
Median Real
Size (2017
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
In NYS
Estate Value
Estimate)
Income
Comm
309,612 9
$60,904
$211,100
$38,477
$29,872 $23,084
295,568 10
$72,706
$274,300
$32,960
$23,690 $15,450
925,528 4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
747,642 5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
1,369,514 2
$102,044
$451,700
$67,500
$67,500 $39,500
465,398 6
$55,717
$137,000
$46,615
$31,608 $25,591
382,226 7
$71,910
$258,700
$49,684
$36,436 $29,697
328,868 8
$86,134
$420,700
$40,805
$32,587
1,492,953 1
$90,128
$376,000 $100,854 $100,854 $100,854
980,244 3
$86,226
$507,300
$49,200
$49,200 $49,200

County
Executive
$125,559
$139,869
$103,438
$120,000
$174,614
$122,413
$182,177
$155,087
$224,125
$160,760

County
Admin

Sheriff

$114,361
$125,664
$79,092
$123,030
$174,578
$110,120
$140,988
$143,322
$123,450 $194,243
$122,337

Clerk

Comptroller

$105,766
$106,023
$79,092
$81,000
$166,300
$78,654
$107,650
$138,640
$197,681
$153,105

$111,785
$99,937
$80,613

MEAN
729755
$73,208
$291,160
$53,268
$45,528 $37,655 $150,804 $122,894 $133,933 $121,391
SD
448400
$17,379
$139,555
$19,230
$25,168 $24,679 $36,209
$787 $34,591 $40,902
1 SD above M
1178155
$90,587
$430,715
$72,498
$70,696 $62,334 $187,013 $123,681 $168,524 $162,293
1 SD below M
281355
$55,830
$151,605
NOTES:
Erie County is more than one standard deviation below the mean in Median Household Income & Median Real Estate Value
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

$111,687
$32,510
$144,197

$166,300
$99,800

Table 10 NYS Counties Top 9 Population (Suffolk County removed)
County
Albany
Dutchess
Erie
Monroe
Nassau
Onondaga
Orange
Rockland
Suffolk Removed
Westchester
MEAN
SD
1 SD above M
1 SD below M

Population
Median
Leg
Rank
Median Real
Size (2017
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
In NYS
Estate Value
Estimate)
Income
Comm
309,612 9
$60,904
$211,100
$38,477
$29,872 $23,084
295,568 10
$72,706
$274,300
$32,960
$23,690 $15,450
925,528 4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
747,642 5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
1,369,514 2
$102,044
$451,700
$67,500
$67,500 $39,500
465,398 6
$55,717
$137,000
$46,615
$31,608 $25,591
382,226 7
$71,910
$258,700
$49,684
$36,436 $29,697
328,868 8
$86,134
$420,700
$40,805
$32,587
980,244
644,956
381,178
1,026,134
263,777

3

$86,226
$71,328
$17,321
$90,587
$55,829

$507,300
$281,733
$144,604
$430,715
$151,605

County
Executive

County
Admin

$125,559
$139,869
$103,438
$120,000
$174,614
$122,413
$182,177
$155,087

Sheriff

Clerk

$114,361
$125,664
$79,092
$123,030
$174,578
$110,120
$140,988
$143,322

$105,766
$106,023
$79,092
$81,000
$166,300
$78,654
$107,650
$138,640

$49,200

$49,200

$49,200 $160,760

$122,337

$47,981
$10,076
$58,057

$38,612
$15,230
$53,842

$30,633 $142,657
$11,421 $26,988
$42,054 $169,645

$122,337 $126,394 $112,914
$27,980 $32,768
$154,374 $145,682

Comptroller
$111,785
$99,937
$80,613
$166,300
$99,800

$153,105
$111,687
$32,510
$144,197

NOTES:
Erie County is more than one standard deviation below the mean in Median Household Income & Median Real Estate Value
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

22   P a g e

 Table 11 NYS Counties Top 5 Population
County
Erie
Monroe
Nassau
Suffolk
Westchester

Population
Median
Leg
Rank
Median Real
Size (2017
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
In NYS
Estate Value
Estimate)
Income
Comm
925,528 4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
747,642 5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
1,369,514 2
$102,044
$451,700
$67,500
$67,500 $39,500
1,492,953 1
$90,128
$376,000 $100,854 $100,854 $100,854
980,244 3
$86,226
$507,300
$49,200
$49,200 $49,200

County
Executive
$103,438
$120,000
$174,614
$224,125
$160,760

County
Admin

Sheriff

$79,092
$123,030
$174,578
$123,450 $194,243
$122,337

Clerk
$79,092
$81,000
$166,300
$197,681
$153,105

MEAN
1,103,176
$76,942
$321,960
$64,828
$57,628 $50,028 $156,587 $122,894 $142,736 $135,436
SD
314,618
$22,484
$174,817
$21,309
$28,883 $30,724 $47,611
$787 $51,980 $53,097
1 SD above M
1,417,794
$99,426
$496,777
1 SD below M
788,558
$54,458
$147,143
Notes:
Erie and Monroe Counties more than one standard deviation below the mean in both median household income and median real estate value.
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

Comptroller
$80,613
$166,300

$123,457
$60,590

Table 12 NYS Counties Top 4 Population (Suffolk County Removed)
County
Erie
Monroe
Nassau
Suffolk Removed
Westchester

Population
Median
Leg
Rank
Median Real
Size (2017
Household
Leg Chair Maj/Min or Leg Base
In NYS
Estate Value
Estimate)
Income
Comm
925,528 4
$52,744
$134,600
$52,588
$47,588 $42,588
747,642 5
$53,568
$140,200
$54,000
$23,000 $18,000
1,369,514 2
$102,044 $451,700
$67,500
$67,500 $39,500
980,244

3

$86,226

$507,300

$49,200

$49,200

County
Executive

County
Admin

$103,438
$120,000
$174,614

$49,200 $160,760

Sheriff

Clerk

$79,092 $79,092
$123,030 $81,000
$174,578 $166,300
$122,337

Comptroller
$80,613
$166,300

$153,105

MEAN
1,005,732
$73,646
$308,450
$55,822
$46,822 $37,322 $139,703 $122,337 $125,567 $119,874
SD
262,062
$24,527
$198,825
$8,042
$18,269 $13,502 $33,494
$47,794 $46,311
1 SD above M
1,417,794
$98,173
$507,275
1 SD below M
788,558
$49,118
$109,625
Notes:
Median Household and Real Estate Value is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey Estimate
Salary information for elected officials gathered as part of a 2018 survey conducted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC)
Areas left blank indicate either the position does not exist or information is unavailable for a given county

$123,457
$60,590

23   P a g e

 Table 13 Salaries in Erie County's Cities and Ten Most Populous Towns
Rank

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Town

Amherst
Cheektowaga
Tonawanda (town)
Hamburg
West Seneca
Lancaster
Clarence
Orchard Park
Grand Island
Evans

Population Supervisor

122,366
88,226
73,567
56,936
44,711
41,604
30,673
29,054
20,374
16,356

$24,138
$80,662
$76,992
$98,240
$75,000

328,500
18,141
15,130

$108,499

$76,357
$79,176
$68,917

Clerk

Treas./ Compt.
(Finance Dir.)

Police chief P.O.'s Sup. Staff

Vacant
$60,912
???
$79,460
$71,406
$86,118
$82,949
???
$76,096
$62,250

$134,135
$96,182
$90,363
$76,057
$29,615
$51,923
$52,220
$101,189
$78,427
$57,000

$166,827
$139,361
$133,970
$173,613
$124,977
$138,700
Co. sheriff
$186,788

$100,826

$91,358

$116,386
$113,181
$100,611

154
129
106
62
66
43

35
52
19
29

NYS police
32
6
C. Sheriff NYS pol.
$115,424 22+ 6 p/t

City
Buffalo
Lackawanna
Tonawanda (City)

52
30

Table Sources: www.seethroughny.com, www.usacops.com

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 Table 14 Internal Equity in Erie County Officials' Compensation

ECCSRC Analysis of Internal Equity in Erie County Elected Officials Compensation
Erie County Executive
County Executive
Deputy County Executive
Director of Budget and Management
Senior Executive Assistant (2)

2017
$
38.8% $
31.4% $
-13.9% $

103,428
143,572
135,930
89,092

Erie County Comptroller
County Comptroller
Deputy Comptroller
Director of Grant Accounting Services
Associate Deputy Comptroller
Director of Accounting Services

$
$
$
$
$

80,613
124,488
103,840
94,719
86,058

Erie County Clerk
County Clerk
First Deputy County Clerk
Asst. Deputy County Clerk - Adm

$
29.9% $
-26.9% $

Erie County Sheriff
Sheriff
Under Sheriff
Superintendent - Holding Center
First Deputy Super. - Sheriff (2)
Chief of Administration

$
$
$
$
$

Erie County Legislature*
Chairperson - County Legislature
County Legislator (Maj./Minority)
County Legislator
Clerk of Legislature
Chief of Staff- Legislature
Special Project Coordinator
Administrative Liaison Assistant
Executive Assistant
Special Assistant to the Chair

54.4%
28.8%
17.5%
6.8%

56.3%
38.2%
30.8%
25.3%

2017
$
$
$
112.0% $
96.1% $
76.5% $
57.7% $
33.7% $
33.5% $

2018
$
103,428
46.7% $
151,697
31.9% $
136,453
-11.3% $
91,714

$
$
$
$
$

80,613
124,967
104,239
95,083
86,389

79,092
102,742
75,148

$
31.9% $
-27.7% $

79,092
104,342
75,437

79,092
123,606
109,302
103,465
99,114

$
$
$
$
$

79,092
125,368
109,722
103,863
99,495

52,588
47,588
42,588
90,270
83,518
75,148
67,149
56,925
56,865

55.0%
29.3%
17.9%
7.2%

58.5%
38.7%
31.3%
25.8%

117.9%
96.9%
77.1%
58.3%
41.2%
37.2%

2018
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

52,588
47,588
42,588
92,803
83,839
75,437
67,407
60,141
58,441

*Percentages relative to County Legislator Salary

25   P a g e

 Table 15 CPI 1996 and 2018

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI - Inflation Calculator
1996
2018
$103,248

equates to

$164,978

County Exec.

59.80%

$80,613

equates to

$128,810

Comptroller

59.80%

$79,092

equates to

$126,380

Clerk / Sheriff

59.80%

$52,588

equates to

$84,029

Leg Chairman

59.80%

$47,588

equates to

$76,040 Maj./ Min. Leader

59.80%

$42,588
equates to
$68,051 County Legislator
59.80%
Source: https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

26   P a g e