BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo voters approved all 11 proposed changes to the city charter on Election Day, giving the green light to a series of changes involving how city government operates.
The city charter essentially serves as the rule book for Buffalo city government. All 11 ballot measures passed Tuesday, with even the closest proposal approved by 33 percentage points.
“I think it was great. I think people paid attention to it,” said Laurence Rubin, chair of the City of Buffalo Charter Revision Commission.
The commission worked with members of the community to fine-tune the proposals before they were put before voters.
The newly approved measures cover a range of issues, including clarifying mayoral succession, reviewing inactive city boards and creating new community-driven commissions.
One of those is a new Civilian Police Advisory Commission, which is intended to provide more opportunities for the public to engage on issues involving community policing.
"More interaction, more communication, more opportunity for the public to be heard about their concerns," Rubin said. "And I think that at least our current administration seems to be interested in hearing that."
WATCH: Buffalo voters approve all 11 proposed changes to city charter
Another approved measure amends the city charter to establish a Commission on Human Rights, focused on the protection and promotion of human rights for Buffalo residents.
"They can look at issues about how local government, city government, is dealing with issues of human rights, or impacting on human rights in the City of Buffalo," Rubin said. "But it actually has a broader mandate that it can go beyond that and look community-wide at issues about human rights."
Rubin said many of the charter changes take effect immediately, while the process of creating the newly approved commissions is expected to take a couple of months.
What happens next?
With voters approving all 11 measures, Buffalo will now begin implementing the charter changes. While many provisions can take effect immediately, Rubin said establishing the new commissions will require additional time.
