BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Community voices from the group Our City Action Buffalo gathered Monday night to voice their frustration over the proposed City of Buffalo budget.
As part of the proposed budget, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is proposing a 9% property tax hike.
Earlier this month, when delivering the State of the City address, Mayor Brown said in part, "We need additional revenue." “There will be a trickle-down effect that not only directly affects homeowners, but it will affect renters,” says Leighton Jones, communications coordinator of Our City Action Buffalo. “So this is something that the city should care about and be concerned about because everything is taxed up right now.”
Executive director Harper Bishop (He/Him/They) says if the council votes on the proposed tax increase it will ultimately make the city even more unaffordable for renters and homeowners.
“We do believe the city has options when it comes to investing in the right places and cutting the right places and they’re choosing not to do that,” Bishop says.
Nathan Feist is a paralegal. His organization processes grants for homeowners on the East Side.
“And there are a lot of cost burden and rent burden people who can’t afford a nine percent increase in taxes,” Feist says.
Councilman Rasheed Wyatt says he made a recommendation to the city to have the property tax not go more than 3%.
“But at the end of the day, I agree with the activists in many ways that this is a huge increase that’s going to truly devastate some people,” Wyatt says. “I feel bad for this in this city because again we’re the third poorest of our size and you can’t tell me that you can’t find some cuts to make this more bearable.”
Others say they want the city to provide more public assistance.
“Arts, make the museum free. I'm a big composter gardener. I think we have greener efforts with the city putting money into a centralized composting initiative that can go back to community gardens where people can cultivate great food,” says Hunter Capps a Buffalo resident.
7 News reporter Yoselin Person reached out to Mayor Brown's office for comment.
A city spokesperson says this:
"The proposed budget does not include any unnecessary items. Any cuts could impact critical services. There are several items in the budget that will benefit low and middle income residents."
The council has until May 22 to make final decisions on what’s in the budget before voting.
“So if you can please listen and take action and do better because you know we are broke,” says Jones.
