Mayor Brown Releases 2008-09 City Budget

Source/Contact
Office of the Mayor
Peter K. Cutler
Director of Communications
716-851-4841

(View Mayor Budget 2008-2009 Budget Overview)

$435 Million Spending Plan Lowers Property Taxes; Makes Targeted Investments in Protecting Neighborhoods, Reducing Crime, Strengthening Quality of Life and Growing City Economy


Mayor Byron W. Brown today released his recommended 2008-09 City Budget, which will be delivered to the Buffalo Common Council. 

While reflecting the impact of national and state economic conditions, Mayor Brown’s budget contains funding for key anti-crime, pro-neighborhood programs including recommended appropriations for 40 new Buffalo police officers, 40 new anti-crime surveillance cameras and the creation of a new, $30 million Buffalo Revitalization Fund.

“In these challenging fiscal times, this budget reflects the same cost-conscious decisions our city residents must face and yet the 2008-09 city budget will provide key, targeted funding to programs and initiatives that will further reduce crime, strengthen city neighborhoods, support our residents’ quality of life and make investments designed to build our economy,” said Mayor Brown. “Like last year’s budget, this year’s budget grows below the rate of inflation, while reducing residential property taxes by 4.8%. It is a responsible budget that will enable us to continue to build on previous years’ successes.”

Key highlights of the proposed 2008-09 Budget include:

• The $435 million budget grows by less than 1% of current year levels.
• Contains funding for new 40-member police class, 40 new anti-crime surveillance and a new 35-member firefighter class.
• Reduces the residential property tax rate by 4.8% and holds the commercial rate steady. (Over the first 3 years of the Brown Administration, residential rates have been reduced by over 10% and nearly 13% for commercial, which gives a combined average reduction of 12%)
• For the third consecutive year, includes no increase in garbage user fee.
• Creates a new Property Tax Relief Fund for the purpose of future year additional property tax cuts, which is capitalized by $10 million in city surplus funds.
• Provides funding to support creation of 3,000 youth employment opportunities through Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment program. 
• Makes the second installment payment for the Father Belle Center on the West Side, which will help leverage a 3-year $2.3 million AmeriCorps grant. This effort is part of Mayor’s broader, citywide anti-poverty effort.
• Includes funds for the new 311 Citizen Services Hotline.
• Continues appropriations to the Grow Buffalo Fund ($15 million) and establishes a new Buffalo Revitalization Initiative ($30 million). Funding for both come from state "spin-up" monies (Grow Bflo) and committed state appropriations (Bflo Revitalization).
• These programs support job creation, neighborhood revitalization and clean-up efforts, arts, cultural and tourism projects, including continued investment in the proposed Urban Arts Center, funding to complete the Beverly A. Grey Business Incubator and enhanced public access to the Erie Basin marina, making it a year round destination.
• Creates Police Auxiliary Pilot Program in Black Rock/Riverside neighborhood.
• Provides $750,000 for Urban Forest Revitalization effort.
• Sets aside state grant funds ($11.7 million) for labor contracts that include efficiencies and restructuring of employee benefits

“My Administration continues to seek cost savings and efficient delivery of city services, but we must have the ability to increase city revenues to provide the services our residents expect and deserve,” said Mayor Brown.  “With this budget I reiterate my call on Albany to allow the City of Buffalo to enact revenue-producing initiatives that will enable us to further reduce the burden of city property tax rates on homeowners and business owners.  The city has the potential of generating $15.5 million annually in initiatives that include: a new Red Light Camera System, assuring Buffalo 100% of Casino-generated revenue and permitting city-based adjudication of motor vehicle violations.”

As with Mayor Brown’s previous city budgets, the recommended 2008-09 Budget adheres to the three guiding principles the Brown Administration has followed since taking office in January 2006: strengthening economic development, improving the city residents’ quality of life and ensuring city government accountability and efficiency in the delivery of city services.

“Those core principles of my Administration are reflected throughout this budget,” stated Mayor Brown. “By remaining focused on these key issues we will make the City of Buffalo financially stronger, more attractive for economic growth and investment, and supportive of safe, secure and diverse residential neighborhoods.”


Mayor Brown’s recommended budget also calls for the creation of a new, CitiStat-based Performance Budgeting system that will closely monitor departmental budgets and track citizen priorities.

“We must continue our conservative fiscal management of city resources to ensure that costs are being minimized and services are being delivered in a very cost-effective manner,” said Mayor Brown. “Residents have had to tighten their belts and city government will tighten its belt as well, especially in this time of national and state financial difficulty, by cutting our gasoline and energy consumption and deferring all non-essential travel and purchases.  By economizing on city expenditures, we will preserve our city resources, so that we can make targeted investments in areas that will help grow our economy, strengthen our neighborhoods and improve our residents’ quality of life.”

Mayor Brown’s call for funding a new class of 40 Buffalo police officers will help grow the department’s ranks by 130 new police officers in 2008, combined with the 90 provisional police officers currently enrolled in the Police department’s training academy, who will hit city streets in July. Through these law enforcement and other quality of life initiatives funded in this budget, the Brown Administration will build on the success of the Buffalo Police Department’s reduction of criminal activity throughout the City that includes an overall 7% drop in crime over the past two years and a 12% drop in violent crime in 2007 versus 2006.

According to the City Charter, once the Mayor submits his recommended 2008-09 City Budget today to the Buffalo Common Council, the Council must return the Budget to the Mayor by May 22nd.  The Mayor may then veto only additions made by the Council.  By Charter, the Budget must be adopted by June 1st and becomes official on June 8th. 

In addition, the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (i.e., the Control Board) also will receive today the Mayor’s recommended 2008-09 City Budget.  The Control Board then provides a forum for public input on the recommended budget and then submits its recommendations by May 20th.