Here’s How Buffalo Wants To Spend Your Money This Year

With the arrival of spring in Western New York, the State's second-largest city has begun the process of figuring out its finances for the year. While most of us start our year on January 1st, the City of Buffalo begins its year on July 1st.

As the calendar inches towards the end of March and the start of April, the city's Executive Branch, also known as the office of the Mayor, issues an initial budget proposal that the Common Council then debates and finalizes. 2025 is no different, as Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon has released his Recommended 2025/26 City of Buffalo Budget. This document outlines the spending recommendations that the Acting Mayor would like to see implemented in New York's second-largest city.

The 2025-2026 budget contains conservative revenue projections aimed at preventing shortfalls that would result in further cuts. The city’s main source of revenue is property taxes, which remained flat for nearly 20 years. I have proposed an eight percent increase to the property tax levy, which will generate approximately $13.7 million in revenue.
-Christopher Scanlon Brown, Acting Mayor of Buffalo, New York

After years of flat revenue growth, the city is on the verge of a significant deficit in its bank account, and the proposed budget is a potential step to address this shortfall. However, with a proposed budget of more than $600 million, people throughout the region have numerous questions about the items included in the budget. Below is a brief breakdown of how Buffalo plans to allocate your funds.

You can get a full breakdown of the City's Recommended Budget here on the City of Buffalo website.

Now it's up to the Buffalo Common Council to review this budget and make changes to it before it can become final. Several meetings and hearings have been scheduled at Buffalo City Hall. The Common Council has until May 26th to make their changes and send them back to the Mayor's office to review and sign, or veto.