Theodore 'Ted' Luty-City Auditor

Ted and his dog Sammy
THEODORE "TED" LUTY
Ted was born on November 26, 1931, the son of John G. and Victoria M. Jonak Luty Sr. He was a North Olean boy who became the city auditor for the City of Olean, a position that he faithfully filled for over eighteen years.

His early growing up days were spent like most young men of his day. Ted graduated from Olean High School, answered the call to serve his county with the U. S. Army in Korea. Naturally, but where else would he earn his bachelors degree in business administration, but from St. Bonaventure University. For two years he did work at Price Waterhouse in Buffalo, but Olean was to benefit from his dedication to his hometown.

Ted became the auditor for the city of Olean on November 1, 1960 through May of 1964 at which time he joined the Olean School District as business manager. He held this position until 1970, then returning as city auditor until Ted retired in July of 1998.

The following are quotes from the Olean Times Herald taken from a tribute to Ted Luty by John T. Eberth.

Quotes by former Mayor John Ash:
"Ted was excellent at what he did. Whenever I had a question about the budget or the council had a question about the budget, he could answer it on the spot and he was always accurate."

"Mr. Luty was never shy about telling him or other city officials no if he felt they were drifting into financially dangerous territory. Mr. Luty was particularly concerned about protecting the city's surplus account. He defended the multi-million dollar surplus during his tenure as city auditor as a hedge against unforeseen expenses. Ted was very good at what he did and the city will miss him."

Glenda Jester, chief clerk in the auditor's office, who worked with Mr. Luty for 22 years contributed the following quote, "Ted watched the people's money like it was his own. He was a quiet guy who worked hard and a very dedicated civil servant. Although Mr. Luty was serious about keeping track of the taxpayers' money, he wasn't a stern boss. We had some fun too. Mr. Luty was a devout Miami Dolphins fan, was well-known for is lack of love for the Buffalo Bills. Mrs. Jester continued that she and her colleague, Cathy Krott, used that against Ted by flaunting the Bill"s successes during the 1990s. We decorated his office with Buffalo Bills helmets and banners. Any team that was facing the Bills, he would root for. When the Bills were in the Super Bowl, he would go out and buy the hat of the opposing team."

Gregg Prockton, who succeeded Mr. Luty in the auditor's office for a time, added his memories of Ted. He said, "When he took over the job of city auditor he was astounded to learn that Mr. Luty didn't use a computer, that Ted didn't need one. It was humbling for him to see what Ted was able to accomplish without modern technology. He kept up with everything and everything was very accurate, precise to the penny."

Gregg continued that he soon learned of Mr. Luty's efforts to protect the surplus account and that during one time in Mr. Luty's tenure as city auditor, the account held five million dollars. At that time the mayor and council used interest from the account to keep property taxes low, applying the interest to the revenues side of the city budget. Mr. Luty cautioned against cutting into the account's principle, warning that without the surplus the city would face financial hardship and raise property taxes.

Gregg Prockton stated that he knew Mr. Luty mostly through his stewardship of city finance and his respect for Mr. Luty as an accountant grew as he saw his handiwork in the budget.

His praise for Ted continued in these words, "Ted Luty was a man of utmost integrity whose passion for the city extended to the performance of his duties. He did what he had to do and he did it very well.

Ted Luty was a member of the Transfiguration Church, a life member of the Pulaski Club, the Knights of Columbus No 338, and the Olean American Legion Post No. 530.

Theodore Luty died on January 23, 2007 in his home at 1706 N. Union Street where he had resided with his parents until their passing. He enjoyed his home in North Olean, enjoyed gardening and his dog Sammy.

Ted was survived by his brother, former Police of Chief Michael Luty, sisters, Helen Rakus and Irene Sassone, and many nieces and nephews.

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