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Cheektowaga board revisits deputy highway superintendent role as superintendent cites staffing and aging equipment strains
Summary
At a Cheektowaga Town Board meeting, members and Highway Superintendent Rick discussed reinstating a deputy highway superintendent position in a part‑time capacity to provide backup authority for payroll and operations, while weighing budget constraints and alternatives such as using existing foremen or intermunicipal mutual aid.
The Cheektowaga Town Board revisited whether to reestablish the deputy highway superintendent position after Highway Superintendent Rick said the department lacks a reliable backup for signing authority and day‑to‑day oversight when he is absent.
Rick told the board he was out nearly 11 days over the holidays and tried to run the operation from home, and that “I was out almost 11 days, and I’m trying to run it from the bed. It was tough.” He described recurring equipment failures and aging trucks, saying one recent repair cost about $1,500 and took four days, and that the department lost two trucks in one day.
Board members and Rick discussed options ranging from appointing an internal employee with a stipend to hiring a part‑time deputy. Council member comments indicated reluctance to restore the prior full‑time deputy post with full benefits—a position previously budgeted at roughly $90,000 in salary plus benefits—because of cost. One board member suggested a part‑time stipend “around…
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