BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County Democratic Committee hosted its final Buffalo mayoral convention on Tuesday as the race for mayor heats up.
Only four of the eight candidates vying for support were invited to the final convention: Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, State Senator Sean Ryan, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield and Common Council Member Rasheed Wyatt.
A key issue on the table is the city’s fiscal crisis and 7 News asked all four candidates what their plan is for addressing the issue.
Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon emphasized his commitment to addressing the city’s budget issues, particularly post-COVID.
“Cities were ravaged by COVID, and we have this issue that we’re dealing with, but we're dealing with it head-on, and we're going to use it as an opportunity to get more efficient, more cost-effective,” Scanlon said.
Council Member Rasheed Wyatt criticized the current administration for its lack of action on the fiscal crisis.
“I’m going to continue to address those issues, I know the administration, to me, has not done anything as it relates to it. It seems as though it’s business as usual and that’s unfortunate," Wyatt said.
State Senator Sean Ryan called for a thorough review of the city’s finances.
“The first thing you have to do is figure out how deep the hole is. The city of Buffalo doesn’t know how deep they are in right now, so I'd like the comptroller to come in to take a look at the city's books to get a real true look,” Ryan said.
Former Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield focused on improving city management.
“It’s a man-made issue, this was done through incompetency, through mismanagement. We just have to manage things better. We have to make sure that we value the resources and the assets, the people that we have at our disposal...use them appropriately.” Whitfield said.
The Erie County Democratic Committee will meet on February 22 to decide which candidate will receive its endorsement. The decision could have a significant impact on the mayoral race, but ultimately, it will be up to voters to choose the next leader of Buffalo.
