BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo's Common Council held a special session Wednesday to vote on Mayor Bryon Brown's proposed city budget.
The Mayor's proposed budget was $618,000,000 but lawmakers managed to cut that by nearly $2,383,500.
The Buffalo Common Council also unanimously voted to reduce the tax burden from the mayor's original budget proposal.
That was the result of Wednesday night's Special Session, which ended up going a lot longer than expected.
Watch Mayor Byron Brown speak with 7 News reporter Kristen Mirand about the amended budget and the city's fiscal future.
Buffalo Common Council Member for South District and President Christopher Scanlon said, "Through negotiations and getting creative, we've been able to reduce the property tax rate increase on residential homeowners down to 4.19%"
A unanimous decision to vote for a 4.19% increase instead of a 9% increase on property tax was announced around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. The delay was caused by a miscommunication on whether the initial mayor's proposal was submitted to the state or not, which lead the Special Session to go into recess just after it began at 2 p.m.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
Residential Tax Adjustment:
The originally proposed 9% increase on the tax levy by Mayor Brown has been significantly reduced the residential tax rate increase down to 4.19% for residential homes.
Example: For a house in the City of Buffalo with an average cost of $160,700, this will result in an increase in property tax of $72.00/year or $6.03/month.
Commercial Tax Adjustment:
The tax levy changes at 7.5% for commercial properties.
NOTE: It does not reflect the Council amended 4.19% tax rate for residential homes in the City of Buffalo.
Reduction in Vacant Exempt Positions:
The Council adopted a reduction in vacant exempt positions within the City of Buffalo, promoting efficiency and cost-saving measures.
Maintaining Weekly Recycling Pick-Up:
Despite discussions about downgrading to bi-weekly collection, weekly recycling pick-up in the City of Buffalo will remain as scheduled, ensuring consistent and reliable service for residents.
While the votes were unanimous on the property tax, it was met with push back on the integrity and fairness to Buffalo residents.
"This was pretty bad. Hopefully, we're going to learn from this and then be able to try to find places where we can seriously take a look at saving money between this year and next year's budget," Buffalo Common Council member for the North District Joseph Golombek said.
City of Buffalo Common Council Member Zeneta Everhart said, "I said one of my non-negotiables was a 9% tax increase. I am grateful that it is at 4.19% but as a council, it is our responsibility to protect the residents of the City of Buffalo, financially and otherwise and this city has not done that for them all these years."
'We need additional revenue'
Watch below as the mayor explains why a 9% property tax was needed in his State of the City address.
Too long, didn't read:
- Mayor Brown delivered his 2024 State of the City Address and his 2025 City Budget presentation on May 1.
- The mayor announced a $618 million proposed spending plan
- The mayor proposed a nine percent property tax hike
- Weeks later, the common council approved the budget with a 4.19 percent property tax hike
- The mayor has until June 8 to review the budget
VOICES OF BUFFALO REACT TO PROPOSAL:
Peter Allen Weinmann, a managing attorney for the law firm of Wolfgang and Weinmann, said regardless, the tax hike will eventually be compounded with a city-wide revaluation of properties.
"So 100,000 tax parcels in the City of Buffalo are going to have a brand new tax assessment later on this coming year. So taxpayers are going to receive a love letter in the mail and they're going to find their taxes are going to go up astronomically," he said.
Janayia Capers, a housing justice organizer with PUSH Buffalo, said the tax hike is unthinkable and that renters in Buffalo are already dealing with a housing crisis. Capers said this would be a burden to renters.
"People who are Black and brown. People who are living in these areas who can't afford it. It's going to be affecting the people — those people more," she said.
Jim Fink, a real estate economic development reporter, said commercial property owners would most certainly feel the tax hike
"For Carl Paladino, for Ciminelli Development, for Uniland, for Douglas Jemal — they'll feel it. They'll pass it down to their tenants but you know it's a trickle-down effect," Fink said.
Fink added the property tax hike may sound daunting, but Mayor Brown has been fiscally conservative and would not be proposing this if he didn't have to.
Buffalo Common Council members had until midnight Wednesday to vote on the budget, per the city charter.
The Mayor now has to decide on the council's amended version of the budget, by June 8.
