Buffalo Bills provide update on collective bargaining agreement

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The committee charged with ensuring the Buffalo Bills continue their investment in the community as part of their new stadium deal is still trying to figure out how to operate.

On Monday, the Community Benefits Oversight Committee (CBOC) held its third meeting, with only one person making public comments and the chair, Rev. Mark Blue, indicating that they had made an oversight regarding this investment.

“It’s like building an airplane and flying it at the same time,” President Blue said.

The committee was created in February 2024 to advise the Buffalo Bills on their community benefits agreement; an agreement the Bills signed in exchange for $850 million from Erie County and New York state taxpayers.

The CBA outlines the team’s initiatives, such as ensuring minority and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) participate in the construction of the new stadium, improving public transportation to their future home in Orchard Park and investing $3 million annually in the local community.

However, according to President Blue, the first year of this $3 million investment was not subject to any guidelines or oversight before being spent due to a “misunderstanding.”

“We thought that once the stadium was built, the funds would be allocated, but now, thanks to the contract, these funds are available or will be made available for the coming year,” said President Blue.

He explained that the committee recently learned that investment was supposed to begin when the CBA was signed, which happened in March 2023. Blue said the committee and the Buffalo Bills initially thought it wouldn’t be until after the stadium was completed in 2026.

“It happened for a reason, they didn’t know about it, we didn’t know about it, but this is where there’s more money that’s allocated over the life of the stadium,” said President Blue, an additional $9 million to be exact.

Essentially, the Buffalo Bills’ first investment had no guidelines set by the oversight committee because they didn’t exist until February.

When 2 On Your Side asked for more details about the investment, Bills vice president of new stadium operations Penny Semaia said that information would be released in the team’s soon-to-be-released community benefits report.

Semaia added that he was confident the community would be happy with how the money was spent.

“The annual report will outline all of our investments, but we are excited because it will highlight specific categories like workforce development or economic impact, community and youth, and civic and community engagement,” he said.

“We are pleased to tell them that they will see exactly where our $3 million investment has gone.”

Semaia said the annual report is expected to be released July 29 and will be discussed at the August Community Benefits Oversight Committee meeting.

“We’re going to look at it and see how things have been done, it might be a great system, a great process, but we’re going to look at it and see what we can do to help,” said committee chairman Rev. Mark Blue.

“We want to make sure that we do our due diligence and that the community’s concerns are addressed.”

The CBOC has sought public input, but so far participation in meetings has been limited. Only one community member provided public comment Monday.

Pastor Charles Walker said the committee could do more to inform the public.

“The community needs to be made aware of these meetings because, as you can see, they are not filled,” Walker said.

The committee established a consistent schedule Monday for future meetings to be held on the second Monday of each month. If that day falls on a holiday, the meeting will be held on the second Tuesday. Chairman Blue also said the committee may consider alternate locations and times to improve accessibility. The two most recent meetings were held at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries.

Both President Blue and Pastor Walker said they look forward to involving more community members who could benefit from the stadium project, whether by working on it or benefiting from the $3 million annual investment.

“I don’t have all the right answers and neither do they, but together, a little bit here, a little bit there, we can find a workable solution and we can meet this challenge. We really can,” Walker said.

The Buffalo Bills regularly post updates regarding stadium construction and the Community Benefits Oversight Committee on their website for those who wish to stay informed.

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