Clifford Scott, the once embattled executive director of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority, is leaving city government to pursue new opportunities in Ohio.
His departure will create two openings in Mayor Robert Restaino’s administration. Scott will leave his posts as both the city’s director of Community Development and acting director of Code Enforcement.
Restaino confirmed Tuesday that Scott would be leaving to take a new job, but said he didn’t “know much about” his future employment plans. The mayor said he would begin a search to fill both of Scott’s posts.
Scott was tapped by Restaino in July 2023 to serve as the acting director of code enforcement following the resignation of Corey Baskerville. City Administrator Anthony Restaino said at the time that the appointment was made to “have a designated manager to oversee the administration of the (code enforcement) department.”
Scott was paid a $10,000 stipend for that work.
He served concurrently as the city’s community development director and the NFHA’s executive director under the terms of a shared services agreement entered into in September 2020. However, he was relieved of his duties at the housing authority in July 2023.
NFHA commissioners refused to discuss the reasons behind Scott’s exit from the authority.
“We want to thank him for his service to the authority and wish him the best on his future endeavors,” Board of Commissioners Chair Maralynn Giancola at the time of Scott’s departure.
The departure followed visits paid the housing authority’s 10th Street headquarters by examiners from the New York State Comptroller’s Office. Scott said the state comptroller’s representatives were performing an assessment of housing authority operations.