Buffalo Lawmakers Approve Budget That Cuts Tax Hike

Under the amended budget adopted by Council, the owner of a $100,000 home will pay $72 more in taxes in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, saving $6 on the tax increase than Mayor Byron Brown had proposed for him.

The changed tax rate for a commercial property valued at $200,000 will result in an increase of $464 on a tax bill.

The residential property tax rate would increase from $10.73 per $1,000 of assessed value to $11.18 per $1,000. This means a 4.19% tax increase for homeowners, instead of the 7.26% proposed by Brown on May 1.

The change in the modified tax levy — which is the total amount of taxes collected — means the city will collect $2.38 million less in property taxes than Brown had proposed.

The Council’s amendments also provided a net spending reduction of $406,958. The council balanced the books by increasing revenue from other sources by about $2.4 million, with the bulk of those dollars coming from licenses, permits and fines.

University Council member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt was the only one to vote no on the amended budget, but due to a procedural error his dissent was not recorded, said Council President Christopher P. Scanlon .

Brown will have 10 days to veto amendments to his budget.

“We are pleased to have passed amendments that not only reduce the proposed tax increase, but also maintain essential services,” Scanlon said. “This reflects our commitment to reducing the tax burden on Buffalo residents and our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

“Reducing the proposed residential tax increase demonstrates our responsiveness to community needs and our desire to reduce the financial burden on homeowners,” said Council Majority Leader Leah M. Halton-Pope.

Before the vote, drama ensued among lawmakers and the administration, following questions about whether the resolution to exceed the state tax levy cap, approved by the Council at the end of last month, had actually been sent to Albany for certification.

In order to exceed the 2% tax ceiling set by the State, the Council approved an increase. Mayor Brown set the increase at 9%. It was up to the administration to send the information to Albany for certification, council members said.

After a several-hour delay at Wednesday’s special council meeting, the administration confirmed that the certification was done properly by the mayor’s office, said company attorney Cavette Chambers.

The 2 p.m. meeting, suspended for more than five hours, finally ended at 8:21 p.m.