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New Cheektowaga assessor asks for limited overtime and public outreach to meet May 1 exemptions deadline
Summary
At public comment, Elias Farrah, the town's newly installed assessor, requested limited overtime funding and outreach (town hall/slideshow) to process outstanding exemptions before the May 1 filing deadline and offered to lead resident education.
Elias Farrah, the town's newly installed assessor, used the March 25 public-comment period to describe a backlog of assessment work and asked the Town Board for limited overtime funds and support for a public outreach session to help residents understand exemptions and grievance procedures.
Farrah told the board he had found roughly 572 exemption applications, 282 sales to process and about 59 veteran exemptions still pending, and that a May 1 statutory deadline creates urgency for timely processing. He asked the board to allow a modest amount of overtime for assessor's office staff so employees can catch up without risking a missed deadline.
On budget details, Farrah said the tentative budget had previously shown an $8,000 overtime line that a resolution (2024-680) removed; he requested the board consider shifting existing salary-line money or using unused pay for prior payroll periods to cover limited overtime rather than a new appropriation. Supervisor Brian Nowak responded that there may be room in the salary line and suggested a budget transfer up to $8,000 could be considered; several board members agreed to allow use of unused pay from a prior vacant pay period as a short-term measure to cover up to two weeks' worth of work while the assessor provides more precise needs.
Farrah also proposed hosting a town-hall-style informational session, with slides and a video or livestream, to explain what the assessor's office does, common misconceptions (for example, that the assessor collects taxes), and to reduce the volume of in-person grievance day visits. He volunteered to coordinate a slideshow based on state assessor materials and to work with IT and the clerk to put the materials on the town website and YouTube for residents who cannot attend.
Why it matters: The assessor's office performs valuation and exemption administration whose timeliness affects tax calculations and residents' rights to appeal. Missing the statutory May 1 processing window for exemptions could lead to administrative difficulties for property owners and the town.
Follow-up: Farrah said he would return with a more precise estimate of how much overtime is needed after consulting with his staff; the board suggested discussing a budget transfer and decided the supervisor and finance staff will review available salary-line funds and unused payroll amounts to determine a short-term solution.
Ending: Board members agreed to revisit the request at or before the next meeting; Farrah and staff were asked to provide numbers for a narrower request so the board can decide whether to fund limited overtime and approve outreach materials for the town website.
