BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo has adopted its budget for the 2023 fiscal year.
In a special session Friday evening, Buffalo Common Council members voted to amend Mayor Byron Brown's proposed $568 million budget.
Notably, the Common Council eliminated the funds Brown proposed to include for the city's ShotSpotter program and city user fees and reduced the proposed 4.5% property tax hike to 3.5%.
The newly-adopted budget will also make significant investments in Buffalo's East Side through job training, public safety and small business development programs.
City leaders say the budget will also use federal stimulus money to buy 19 new vehicles for the Department of Public Works; 11 of those vehicles will be new pieces of equipment for the city's snow-fighting fleet.
The Common Council also approved the proposed $5.2 million dollars earmarked for the Buffalo Police Department. That money will go towards purchasing 20 new police vehicles and creating 14 new detective positions.
The budget also includes a $1.2 million investment in the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, along with another $845,000 in investments in youth recreational and educational initiatives.
