UPDATE: City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams officially announced the hiring of Karla Thomas as Executive Assistant to the Comptroller, serving in the dual capacity as Chief of Staff, on Thursday.
"This role is essential to the effectiveness of the Comptroller’s Office. The Executive Assistant serves as a key resource to both the Comptroller and Deputy Comptroller, providing leadership, coordination, and operational support across the Department. Ms. Thomas will supervise staff, streamline office functions, and ensure that our internal processes align with industry’s best practices and the highest standards of public accountability.
In addition, she will play an important internal leadership role within the Comptroller’s office by supporting administrative staff; maintaining policy and procedure documentation; preparing meeting agendas and summaries; managing critical deadlines; and ensuring timely communication both within the department and with external partners."
You can find the full original story below.
ORIGINAL: City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams is looking to hire a new executive assistant on a salary of more than $94,000 a year, even though her pick was previously fired by the city after the department she oversaw paid more than $2 million in benefits cash to deceased city employees.
Karla Thomas served as the city's commissioner of Human Resources under the Brown administration before being let go following the discovery of the accounting error. She remained on the city's payroll for more than a year while termination hearings were carried out, earning an annual salary of around $90,000 at the time.
Speaking by phone on Wednesday, Miller-Williams defended her decision to hire Thomas, saying Thomas will not be involved in any financial oversight in her new role.
"She will not be working in the audit division, she will not be working in the accounting division, nor will she be affiliated with the debt management office," Miller-Williams said. "She will be working in the capacity as an executive slash chief of staff in the comptroller's office."
WATCH: Buffalo comptroller defends plan to hire former city employee fired over $2M benefits blunder
The comptroller added that she hired Thomas because of her previous experience in the offices of two other area-elected officials, claiming that Thomas was once chief of staff for former Erie County Legislator for District 2 Betty Jean Grant and current State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples- Stokes.
Grant confirmed to 7 News that Thomas did once work in her legislative office for around a year, but not in the role of chief of staff.
Miller-Williams is currently in the throes of a lawsuit with the city over releasing bonds, during which she has maintained that she is responsible for ensuring the city's fiscal health. One of the plaintiffs in that suit is Buffalo Common Council Finance Chair Mitch Nowakowski, who, in a statement, said the comptroller's decision to hire Thomas has "raised serious questions."
“The recent hiring decision by the city comptroller has understandably raised serious questions. At the same time, I recognize that the comptroller has discretion under the city charter to hire staff of her choosing. That said, the circumstances of this particular hire underscore the need for greater transparency with the Common Council and the public. Further communication is warranted so our residents can have confidence in decisions that impact taxpayer trust.”
The council will discuss the comptroller's choice next Tuesday in its civil service committee meeting.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan's office declined to comment on this story.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
