BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams is appealing a court ruling that found she does not have the power to refuse borrowing for city projects, defending her decision as necessary to protect the city's fiscal health.
It's the second time she has appealed the judge's ruling.
Miller-Williams has been at the center of a legal dispute after she refused to secure financing for all projects in then-acting Mayor Chris Scanlon's $110 million capital budget for 2025 because it exceeded her $28 million debt limit. In September, Scanlon and Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski sued the comptroller over the refusal. Miller-Williams lost that lawsuit and a subsequent appeal, with judges ruling she does not have the authority to refuse borrowing under the city charter. Instead, the Buffalo Common Council has that power.
Despite those rulings, Miller-Williams is pressing forward.
"At the end of the day, I have rung the bell and I will keep ringing the bell," Miller-Williams said.
She defended her continued legal fight as a matter of fiscal responsibility, saying the city consistently borrows for projects that are not shovel-ready, leaving $21 million in unspent grant funds in city coffers. She added that the city is currently paying back $144 million in debt.
"We should only borrow what we can realistically pay back within reason," Miller-Williams said. "Moving forward without a clear and definitive repayment program is not fiscally responsible."
WATCH: Buffalo comptroller defends decision to appeal judge's ruling in lawsuit over city borrowing
The legal proceedings have cost taxpayers around $200,000 so far, according to Scanlon and Nowakowski. They said the delays to construction have also driven up costs for projects, further burdening the taxpayer.
"The City of Buffalo has urgent infrastructure needs that need to be addressed immediately," Nowakowski said in a statement. "By delaying progress, the comptroller continues to make these projects more expensive for future generations of Buffalonians.”
Miller-Williams argues that by limiting debt, she is saving the city money.
There has been some progress with funds for capital infrastructure projects. Earlier this month the Buffalo Common Council approved spending for several projects in the 2026 capital budget, submitted by Scanlon in his time as acting mayor. Miller-Williams said she will borrow for those projects because they are under the debt cap.
The comptroller has until May 27 to file her appeal.
