Former longtime county tax collector dies

Lee Buffington, the county’s former treasurer-tax collector for a quarter-century, died Wednesday night after a lengthy illness, leaving a legacy of completely modernizing the office and being an "independent spirit” and "dear, dear friend,” according to his successor.

Buffington, of Menlo Park, was 81 years old and would have turned 82 next month.

"He was not just our boss but a mentor and a close friend. He had a heart of gold and was really supportive of me and everybody,” said Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandie Arnott.

Arnott worked under Buffington for 22 years, eventually filling the acting role when he took sick leave. She was elected to the position last fall after his retirement. Buffington battled several health ailments the last two years which contributed to his passing, Arnott said.

Prior to his leave and eventual retirement, Buffington was at work every day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. aside from sick and vacation days, she said.

Aside from work, she said he loved to read and, had a soft spot for his pets and considered his wife his first love even after she died in the 1990s, Arnott remembered.

Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, a former Daly City mayor, knew Buffington before she joined the county because he often attended community events in the north county. His position didn’t require him to do so but he always made a point to show up at the Colma spaghetti feeds and hillside homeowners’ dinners, she said.

Sometimes he would step in front of the audience and members would teasingly boo the man they knew only as the name on their tax bill, she said.

But Tissier recalled Buffington as more than that.

"I always knew him as a gentleman with a kind smile. I think that’s what strikes me most. He was such a tall, handsome but gentle man,” Tissier said. "He will be sadly missed.”

Buffington fully automated the office from manual ledgers to computerized systems during his tenure and often served as a trailblazer for other counties and even nations looking to follow suit. Arnott recalled a delegation from China that visited the office for a first-hand view of how Buffington was changing the tax collection process.

"He modernized the investment process and a lot of projects happened because of his work,” Tissier said.

Carole Groom, president of the Board of Supervisors, said the county mourns for Buffington and his family. She expects the board to adjourn its Tuesday meeting in his memory.

At Buffington’s request, his family will hold no services.

Buffington held degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, a real estate broker’s license, a teaching credential in industrial engineering and a pilot’s license. He held management positions with private companies and public entities before joining San Mateo County. He was appointed treasurer-tax collector in June 1986 and elected in 1990. He was continuously re-elected until his retirement and served as past president of the California Association of Tax Collectors and Treasurers.

During his last term, Buffington’s investment strategies were questioned after the Lehman Brothers September 2008 bankruptcy drew $150 million from the county investment pool. Some pool participants also claimed the county did not keep them properly updated leading up to the bankruptcy. Consultants hired by the county after the loss concluded Buffington’s office did nothing wrong because it adhered to the investment policy currently in place.

A group of affected school districts sued Buffington and San Mateo County but a judge recently ruled they are immune. The districts are expected to appeal the dismissal.

Michelle Durand can be reached by email: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.