A City Hall employee accused of manipulating payroll to pad her checks received more than half a million dollars while on administrative leave.
Jill Repman was suspended from the Buffalo City Fire Department after she twice manipulated the system to get an increase in her take-home pay in 2016.
However, according to Investigative Post, the mother of three remained on paid leave from the Dem-run city government for nearly eight years while she waited for a resolution to the disciplinary allegations against her.
She took home $572,000 during the seven and a half years she was suspended and took another job during that time.
Repman, 56, took a second job in the private sector in 2017 — again in payroll — working for Allwel Western New York, according to a now-deleted biography on its website.
Jill Repman was suspended from the Buffalo City Fire Department after she twice manipulated the system to get an increase in her take-home pay in 2016
But the mother of three remained on paid leave from the Dem-run city government for nearly eight years while she waited for a resolution to the disciplinary allegations against her
The fire department was unable to transfer the call to Repman when contacted by , but did not deny that she had returned to work.
She had worked for the city for 22 years and was furloughed from the $59,926-per-year senior administrative assistant position in February 2016.
Fillmore County Council member Mitch Nowakowski told Investigative Post that Repman was recently ordered back to work with the fire department and called the situation “insane.”
“It’s very concerning that we have someone on the city’s payroll who is paid quite well – over $70,000.” [annually] – for seven and a half years,” he said.
“I do not work or perform tasks on behalf of the City of Buffalo.” It’s alarming. “I think it’s a loss of trust from companies that are tasked with managing city taxpayers’ money.”
The council member added that he viewed the situation as “a breakdown of multiple units within city government” responsible for resolving the allegations against Repman in a “timely manner.”
The Buffalo mayor’s office confirmed to Nowakowski that Repman was ordered to return to work in September.
Repman reportedly did not receive a paycheck from the city until August 31, which will create a wall of silence among officials about the situation.
Repman, 56, took a second job in the private sector in 2017 — again in payroll — working for Allwel Western New York, according to a now-deleted biography on its website
Fillmore County Council member Mitch Nowakowski told Investigative Post that Repman was recently recalled to work with the fire department
The Buffalo mayor’s office confirmed to Nowakowski that Repman was ordered to return to work in September
has not received a response to a request from the city or Alwell for comment on her employment status.
She began working for the city in November 1994 under her married name, Parsis, first as a civilian employee in the police department and two years later in the fire department.
According to a Buffalo News report at the time, Rempan was paid overtime, with her base salary set at $36,000 in 2009.
City payroll records show Repman (left) was paid $2,727 as of Aug. 31.
In 2016, Repman filed for bankruptcy and lost her Buffalo home after accumulating nearly $4,193,000 in debt.
Court documents show she spent the money on home loans, back taxes, credit card bills and unpaid legal fees.
She is accused of logging into the fire department’s payroll system from home to change her Social Security and Medicare FICA deductions, increasing her take-home pay by a few hundred dollars.
Repman is accused of doing this twice, with the first payment being made and the administrator altering the records back.
The second time, she was caught by the comptroller’s office, triggering an investigation. This led to the administration taking disciplinary action against her.
She was suspended without pay for 30 days, after which the city continued to pay her pay until the allegations against her were resolved.
It’s unclear whether there were ever any meetings regarding the disciplinary allegations, but Repman is now accused of pocketing nearly half a million dollars from the city.
The fire department was unable to transfer the call to Repman when contacted by , but did not deny that she had returned to work
She is accused of logging into the fire department’s payroll system from home to change her Social Security and Medicare FICA deductions, increasing her take-home pay by a few hundred dollars
City payroll records show she was paid $2,727 as of Aug. 31 and has received $15,000 since July 1 due to longevity bonuses.
According to the Empire Center, Repman brought in more than $72,000 in the city’s current fiscal year and received $572,067 between 2016 and 2023.
Due to New York labor laws, Repman will continue to be able to receive health and pension benefits, as well as vacation and sick leave, while on paid leave.
If she stays on the payroll until November next year, she will have been on the payroll for 30 years – meaning she will be eligible for an annual state pension of $42,577.
In 2016, Michael Dlaufen — then president of AFSCME Local 650 — told The Buffalo News the union would defend Repman against the city’s disciplinary charges.
“She has committed no wrongdoing and once the facts come to light that will be proven,” he said. When contacted by Investigative Post, he said he had “no idea” what the current situation was.
Nowakowski added that the mayor’s office would not tell him whether there was an agreement or resolution to Repman’s disciplinary allegations.
He said: “They confirmed that she was on paid administrative leave for seven and a half years.”
“They have confirmed that she will be returning to work locally in the City of Buffalo.”
Repman reportedly donated $2,980 to mayoral campaign committees between 2007 and 2015 under her married name.
She donated $200 more to the Committee for Change, a defunct campaign committee led by Brown’s former deputy mayor Steve Casey.