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Buffalo officials weigh staffing, overtime and equipment trade-offs as DPW seeks to cut costs
Summary
City officials discussed recruitment challenges for skilled DPW roles, rising overtime tied to bulk trash and daily packer operations, and a push to replace equipment on a steady cycle rather than in spikes to reduce long-term costs.
City officials discussed how long-standing vacancies, recruitment challenges for skilled mechanics and engineers, and the price-versus-capacity of heavy equipment are driving overtime and operating costs for the Department of Public Works (DPW).
At a budget work session, staff said some charter or mandated positions (for example, a deputy commissioner in fire) cannot be removed from the budget but may be left unfilled to realize attrition savings. The director’s office described persistent recruitment difficulties for heavy‑duty mechanics, truck drivers and licensed engineers, noting private-sector starting pay can be 30–40% higher than the city’s entry offers. Fleet director James Cross was cited as the person holding comparative pay data for mechanics and…
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