Joseph Stefko, Ph.D. Director of Public Finance
(585) 327-7065 One-page bio | High res photo

Expertise
Public finance, budgeting and government management

Dr. Stefko directs CGR’s public finance practice, working with clients on issues relating to budgeting, fiscal impact, “ability to pay” and government management.  He has extensive experience analyzing local government finance and the impact of State policies on municipalities.  His work has focused on projecting budgetary needs and quantifying the cost of government, as well as on working with municipalities to identify opportunities for efficiencies and determining their financial capacity for absorbing current and future cost obligations.

Current Projects

• Directing a feasibility study regarding the delivery of emergency services in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, NY.  The engagement includes a comprehensive assessment of the structural, organizational and service delivery framework currently in place, along with options for enhancing the quality of service and capitalizing on opportunities for cost savings.
• Directing a state-funded Shared Municipal Services Incentive project between the City of Tonawanda and Tonawanda City School District in Erie County, NY.  The project is identifying opportunities for both entities to collaborate in several functional areas in order to drive cost savings to taxpayers.
• Participating in an assessment of the cost of government in Northeast Ohio.  The study quantifies how governments in the region are funded and what they are spending on, and benchmarks service delivery costs to a series of peer metropolitan areas throughout the country.

Completed Projects
Topics addressed include:

• Budgetary review and analysis
• Local government collaboration and shared services
• Municipal service delivery/departmental reorganization
• Economic impact
• Regional economic profiles
• Fiscal impact cost/benefit analysis for local land-use development

Education
B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude) in Political Science, M.A. in Political Science and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University at Buffalo (SUNY), with concentrations in public policy and subnational / urban government.

Background
Dr. Stefko rejoined CGR in March 2008 after spending nearly five years with the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (BFSA), the State agency tasked with monitoring the financial condition of the City of Buffalo, its dependent school district and other critical City agencies.  He served as Principal Analyst and Deputy Director of BFSA before being named Acting Executive Director in 2007.  Under BFSA, the City generated more than $230 million in budgetary savings, experienced a four-fold increase in fund balance, and earned multiple credit rating upgrades from Wall Street.  While at BFSA, Dr. Stefko helped direct all policy analysis, research and budget review of the City and School District and developed recommendations for Board action on major fiscal items, including the annual budget / financial plan and collective bargaining agreements.  He played a primary role in briefing the BFSA Board on issues relating to the financial status of the City, and policy items with real or potential fiscal impacts.