Buffalo City Council Passes Resolution to Close $40 Million Budget Shortfall

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Common Council announced Tuesday that it has passed a resolution to implement a series of measures designed to ensure fiscal stability in the city.

The resolution calls for several key actions and was introduced in response to a $40 million budget deficit, with even larger deficits projected in future budgets.

Buffalo Common Councilmember Bryan Bollman has been on Buffalo’s Finance Committee since 2020. He said he has worked on budgets with larger deficits before, but they had ARP funding from the COVID-19 pandemic to help close the gap.

The city now finds itself in a situation where it is dependent on $40 million that is no longer available.

“It really hit me at the beginning of this budget year,” Bollman said. “I think we really need to look carefully at everything that’s presented to us, so I felt it was important for myself and some of our leadership team to say that we’re going to be monitoring the decisions that we make.”

The resolution has been in the works for several months. Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope said she views the city budget the same way she views a household budget.

“Every week, every month, you have to live on a budget. That’s how we live,” Halton-Pope said. “How many bills do I have to pay? What’s my income? What do I have left over for fun? If we budget appropriately, I think our city will be the right size.”

Bollman said he has received calls from Buffalo residents who say they are feeling the effects of the tax increase included in the last budget.

He said one of his goals is to do whatever he can to ease the financial burden some residents have faced.

“These are dollars that could be going to paying their bills or feeding their kids,” Bollman said. “I don’t take this lightly, which is why I say we need to get up front and work together.”

Bollman said he was not certain the resolution would completely reduce the $40 million deficit. He also said Buffalo could receive financial assistance from New York state in the form of grants to get back on track.

The main actions, according to the Buffalo Common Council, are:

• Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority Board Appointed:The resolution calls for a member of the Buffalo Common Council, selected by the council president, to be appointed to the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority by the State of New York, the appointing authority.

• Detailed monthly vacancy reports:The Department of Administration and Finance is responsible for providing the City Council with detailed monthly reports on vacancies. These reports will include vacancies for civil servants, exempt employees and unionized employees, as well as details of budget lines and the contractual status of the vacant positions.

• Comprehensive review of non-revenue generating activities:The Department of Administration and Finance, in collaboration with the Office of the Comptroller, the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, and department heads, is responsible for conducting a comprehensive review of all non-revenue programs, non-contract costs, and other expenditures that can be suspended to reduce future budget deficits.

• Income Generation Strategies:The resolution directs departments to explore strategies to improve revenue generation, including proactively collecting adjudicated funds owed to the City of Buffalo, reviewing and updating fee schedules, pursuing grant opportunities and leveraging public and private partnerships.

• Monthly budget status meetings:The resolution directs the City Comptroller and the Department of Administration and Finance to meet with the City Council monthly to discuss the status of the budget. These meetings will include detailed accounts of spending reductions, variance reports, revenue increases and the impact of the four-year plan.

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Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station to WIVB. Learn more about her work here.

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