The Niagara County Legislature is expected to vote on a 13% raise for Sheriff Michael Filicetti at its meeting tonight.
If approved, Filicetti’s salary in 2025 will be $149,278, up from his current rate of $130,836.
He will receive 3% raises to $155,503 in 2026; $159,524 in 2027 and $164,709 in 2028, if the resolution is approved.
Filicetti said that he negotiated his first term’s salaries as sheriff based on what non-elected employees were receiving in wage increases each year, which was 2%.
He said he is negotiating for the larger increase in one year to also reflect what non-elected employees had received during that term, while his salary was set.
10th District Legislator David Godfrey said Filicetti has not only been a good leader but also has worked hard as an administrator, having been “squeezing” the cost for improvements at the Niagara County jail, which Godfrey described as “old” and containing asbestos.
In the resolution coming before the legislature, Filicetti, who started as sheriff in 2021, is credited with finding funding for five more deputies in the field, expanding the Niagara County radio tower system, adding texting for emergency calls and continuing to create partnerships with the county’s police chiefs, superintendents of schools, Niagara Falls Police Department, as well as expanding the Explorer’s program, a program for youth interesting in joining law enforcement agencies.
Filicetti also noted that while not everything was perfect in his first term, specifically the situation in his office’s forensic lab. In March, the New York State Commission on Forensic Science issued a series of serious violations to Niagara County’s forensics laboratory, including allegations that the lab misrepresented information, fabricated and backdated training documentation and participated in other activities “unbecoming of a laboratory.”
The commissioners later agreed to approve seven recommendations for improving the lab’s operation.
Filicetti said he was glad that the issue was addressed.
“When things come up, you fix it and move forward,” he said.
Filicetti manages 18 divisions and 330 employees, according to the resolution.
Godfrey also noted that Filicetti encourages his employees to attend ceremonies honoring the veterans and law enforcement in the community, which he said is commendable.
“He wants his people to be there and be recognized,” he said.