BUFFALO, NY — Two weeks ago, the leader of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority abruptly resigned. And now 2 On Your Side is learning about some large payments you the taxpayer are coughing up to her.
Dawn Sanders-Garrett abruptly resigned, as executive director of the BMHA, amid multiple issues at the agency.
We've received complaints from residents who say bed bugs are a constant problem at BMHA properties — during the winter some residents at one property didn't have heat or hot water for two weeks — and the BMHA remains under a federal audit.
It's unclear whether any of these issues contributed to her decision to resign.
And now, 2 On Your Side is learning about some significant payments you the taxpayer have made to Sanders-Garrett, even though she no longer works for the BMHA.
2 On Your Side obtained invoices from the Buffalo Comptroller's Office.
In one invoice — a payment of $1,400, was for Sanders-Garrett's last week on the job. In another invoice, Sanders-Garrett received a payment of $38,000 and a $24,000 contribution into a state retirement fund. In that second invoice, when you add up the money she's received and deductions, the total comes to $107,250.
"It indicates to us it's a severance, but we don't know if it's totally a severance or if there's more to come," said Buffalo comptroller Mark Schroeder.
2 On Your Side has filed a Freedom of Information request with the BMHA to get any severance agreement between the agency and Sanders-Garrett.
REPORTER: There's no way you could've stopped this correct?
"No, if we could've we would've," Schroeder said.
We had some questions for the BMHA about the circumstances of Sanders-Garrett's resignation. Whether any of the payments were part of a severance and if there are other payments that will be made in the future?
The BMHA's interim executive director, Gillian Brown referred all questions to the agency's chairman of of board David Rodriguez, who we called, but never heard back from.