[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6151080,"mediaKeyId","5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728","parentId",5505328,"title","Arts commission urges council appointments and enforcement of charter’s 1% public-art requirement","audioSeconds",1450,"startMs",1454000,"endMs",3811,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728&start=1454&end=3","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728/thumbnail_1454000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6151080/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Arts-commission-urges-council-appointments-and-enforcement-of-charters-1-public-art-requirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151080-8784e426a3a5016945279d664e7b69fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140665&Signature=Qlbz~VQkUBKXVVarjOFvRpf2wIff4W7a-B~FGECsBeGsRqn0eKMZ0eznWmY7DkX1MUzhbtVHpe9KGSXOweDFv75~0WErMMZ6SfawNpCQYdymyJ9MnxG6idS5DnIrAPR36AeL2xZP~DQ38OifDgNQn-b2eqY82i6vtWPy5OnAcU3CxniXayIzTs0thmHJgOUc5hmjUF6y0WvJTP8KSM-mkfTqBlto0ZWYeIzeM7LhLqiA~hrRr17760phcXxVeC5X3NPOSklUiuCsnnjDiJz3jUfujEtmRE5ZGYevgYMQ7Ya7JKHkiqHY59WtyiGv4n0HZWC~ORsC~mdVOPYa~9QOAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buffalo City","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","The City of Buffalo Committee on Finance on July 29 took up requests from the Buffalo Arts Commission to begin distributing a newly appropriated arts fund, to fill advisory-board seats and to clarify enforcement of the charter’s 1% public-art requirements.

Alan Gerstmann, a member of the Arts Commission, said the commission welcomes a $200,000 line in this year’s budget to distribute to arts organizations and highlighted that the revitalized Arts and Cultural Funding Advisory Board will have 17 members: seven appointed by the council, six by the mayor, three by the Arts Commission and one by the comptroller. Gerstmann said the commission intends to use a streamlined application similar to the county’s to reduce burdens on small organizations.

Why it matters: The charter includes multiple provisions related to arts funding — an annual plan and budget submission, a 1% set‑aside of the total capital budget for acquisition and preservation of the city’s art collection, and a 1% set‑aside within capital projects for public art. Council members said earlier practice left those streams underused and that clearer processes are needed to ensure the funds reach small local arts groups.

Majority Leader Alton Pope and other council members said the Arts Commission did not submit an annual budget request to the council in advance and urged a formal RFP process and earlier engagement so the council can evaluate proposals before the budget is finalized. Pope and other members cited a 2023 correspondence from former assistant corporation counsel Karen Gordon that recommended the use of an RFP for cultural and anti‑violence funding solicitations.

Commission member Alan Gerstmann and Commissioner of Administration and Finance confirmed the commission’s support for an annual report, a clear waiver process for capital‑project art funding, and a long‑term plan for public art. Gerstmann said the commission put the request conservatively in the budget given recent city finances and emphasized that capital‑project art funding historically can be used for acquisition, preservation and public art integrated into capital projects.

The committee debated whether funds for cultural initiatives in the budget had been moved between lines without clear advance notice to the council. Council members asked that future budget proposals and reallocations be presented as formal proposals to the council so council members can respond to constituents and ensure transparency. The committee tabled the item for further conversation between the Arts Commission, the comptroller and council offices.

Ending: Council members asked the Arts Commission to submit a formal annual plan and RFP-ready materials and to coordinate with the mayor’s office, the law department and corporation counsel to ensure the commission’s requests are presented in a way the council can consider before budget adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Buffalo City Finance Committee 7/29","oneSentenceSummary","The City of Buffalo Committee on Finance took up Arts Commission requests July 29, including a $200,000 distribution line, advisory-board appointments and enforcement mechanisms for the charter’s 1% public-art requirements.","taxTitle","Buffalo City, Erie County, New York","taxId",7516,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6151085,"Buffalo finance committee reviews revised discretionary-fund policy; council members seek charter protections",1165,324000,1489000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728&start=324&end=1489","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728/thumbnail_324000.jpg","/articles/6151085/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Buffalo-finance-committee-reviews-revised-discretionary-fund-policy-council-members-seek-charter-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151085-b8597f16bf364b08dd66199375d2d7c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140664&Signature=dYcKADXX1kgXiHkbwihkIDwC8j0WQb5WAg7pDuBHVaO-Oq1Mrmyn4ItsZeGIHEkBhuMk1pupPxF~2oI3Hh9TUh4371DgUjemTF5QGeOGB1wGoCTEtFRZ4BLPd4oihTPMIrcnRj3DLCrBN3ixfRaesOlHIDkRVl4hcgXSM0J7mFpi26AXHLAS3YwcciIWuvCLqnU36W8G737sfjMRTntJB9gIwv3LUWO5lt7nnhzMNkro5VogdnMX6-zxIvpoZuKh9ZXS3WVhgTiattYJ1FJrzvzWwaA~9cXrKPvroEPp-l2oEIfO~6NJo28dyytGOYfHnstlj7PI-ABQggFinedDug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Buffalo Committee on Finance opened discussion July 29 on a revised discretionary-fund policy that budgets $1.8 million for neighborhood initiatives in fiscal 2026 and adds new documentation and spending restrictions.

Deputy Comptroller Dwayne O'Dell explained the policy’s major provisions, saying the city budgeted $1,800,000 in neighborhood-initiative funds, allocating $200,000 per council district and capping any single recipient at $50,000. He said recipients must submit a budget and expenditure report, invoices and proof of payment and other backup after completing a contracted activity, and that unencumbered discretionary funds will not roll over and instead return to the general fund.

The policy also specifies that grants must go to nonprofit organizations located within the City of Buffalo, that recipients should have additional funding sources where possible, and that the use of funds for capital purchases is prohibited effective July 1, 2025. Deputy Comptroller O'Dell urged council offices to consult the comptroller’s office in advance if there is any question about whether a proposed expense is allowable.

Why it matters: Council discretionary funds are the primary way individual council members support neighborhood events and small nonprofits. The revised policy adds audit and allowable-cost rules that the comptroller says are necessary to ensure public funds are used for public benefit, while several council members said the changes could unduly limit their ability to appropriate funds for district needs.

Council members repeatedly pressed for legal clarity and interoffice consultation. Council Member Rivera said the policy seems to grow more restrictive ‘‘almost quarterly’’ and argued that some allowable uses — including contributions that keep small nonprofit doors open or modest operations and programming costs — deliver public benefit. Rivera warned that requiring historical receipts that no longer exist could disqualify deserving organizations.

Majority Leader Alton Pope and other council members asked that the comptroller work with corporation counsel and return for a fuller conversation before the council accepts the policy. Pope said the council should not be told by policy what its charter-authorized discretion permits and recommended tabling the item for further discussion.

Action and next steps: Committee members moved and seconded to open the item for discussion and later moved to table the item pending further consultation with corporation counsel and the comptroller’s office. The committee tabled the item.

Discussion versus decision: The meeting record shows discussion and a formal motion to table; no substantive change to the policy or final adoption occurred at this session.

Ending note: Committee members said they will convene with the comptroller and counsel during the committee recess to attempt to reconcile audit controls with the council’s chartered appropriation authority.","The Finance Committee discussed a revised City of Buffalo discretionary-fund policy that sets limits on uses, requires documentation and bars capital purchases after July 1, 2025. Council members raised concerns the policy could infringe on council appropriation authority and asked for further consultation with corporation counsel.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6151075,"Finance committee seeks full analysis of city fees and utility rates, including sewer and solid-waste projections",736,2865000,3601000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728&start=2865&end=3601","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505328-766171550a61e7160c142ba35af90728/thumbnail_2865000.jpg","/articles/6151075/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Finance-committee-seeks-full-analysis-of-city-fees-and-utility-rates-including-sewer-and-solid-waste-projections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151075-18629f058e3b0b011623c604500d43df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140664&Signature=euk5JdtE~IIHr1rSiH~ZvMf4--IEuf4L8RuvFkZ7tlzK3FgrA7lIouUd0WbqKSsb7m3DmGE2Jd1jXeMyNMhN93U3vcOmX~N1fmnmALqFHzxgMpGvisw-31VKMd~Jre~UBer7MnOhW3VHwBtojf63BH9JaLEbwCjz2Q6A4m53Ry2IO5OaqWcvYnrb6G038Sgkz1~QGgGVwqnJ4zbRTbBwr0YMDAaGOEkP93ynZNRVtF~luNB7eCuNNRuiwHTbXqQaxFmgzLzeHkQffcyidMKN2s7VdcykMgqKact8B-Rv-MGW-FeIGD6KDGrsILsDzc74E4QLjFoQId7q3lA~-8WNOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Buffalo Committee on Finance on July 29 requested a full-scale analysis of city fees and utility rates that would include schedules, recent histories and projections for future increases, citing concerns about multi‑decade gaps between rate adjustments for some services.

Council members said residents and businesses need advance notice and a predictable plan for fee changes. One councilmember told the committee that the Buffalo Sewer Authority has not raised rates in roughly 18 years and that waiting decades between increases leaves the city to make large, sudden adjustments that are difficult for household budgets to absorb.

Commissioner of Administration and Finance Nosworthy said Chapter 175 of the City Charter lists most city fees and that the administration can provide the requested list; he noted the sewer authority and other authorities have separate governance. Nosworthy said the solid‑waste user fee is ‘‘as close as it’s been in years’’ to being self‑sustaining after incremental increases but warned that a new transfer‑station contract will likely require higher rates.

Why it matters: Utilities and user fees fund ongoing operations and capital maintenance. Council members described deferred maintenance in sewer infrastructure and said incremental, planned increases would reduce the fiscal shock to residents compared with long gaps followed by sharp increases.

Council members asked for a comparative assessment with peer cities and a timeline for when fees would likely be adjusted. The committee sought a snapshot to inform budget deliberations after recess and asked the administration to provide the consolidated list and an analysis by the committee’s return in September.

Ending: Committee members tabled the item and requested the administration prepare the fee list, projections and suggested cadence for small, regular adjustments to avoid large one‑time hikes.","Council members asked the administration for a consolidated list and forward-looking plan for all municipal fees and utility rates — including Buffalo Sewer Authority and solid-waste user fees — to avoid infrequent, large increases and to provide residents with predictable schedules.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Arts commission urges council appointments and enforcement of charter’s 1% public-art requirement

Buffalo finance committee reviews revised discretionary-fund policy; council members seek charter protections

Finance committee seeks full analysis of city fees and utility rates, including sewer and solid-waste projections