BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the FY 2027 budget, which she said focuses on affordability, safety and expanding opportunity for all.
Included in the budget is an additional $25 million for the City of Buffalo to help reduce budget uncertainty, which brings the total funding from the state to $70 million.
In February, we reported that the city was initially only set to receive $5 million in Temporary Municipal Assistance (TMA) funding from the state. Then the governor's office announced that the city would receive a total of $15 million in TMA funding and an additional $30 million to help close the budget gap. This brought the total investment to $45 million, $40 million more than initially expected.
Now, the city will receive an additional $25 million in TMA funding.
According to Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, the additional $25 million will allow the city to strengthen its finances and reduce budget uncertainty. He told 7 News the money is a "backstop" which gives the city room to maneuver if some uncertain revenue streams, such as the Seneca compact money or the sale of the city's parking ramps, fail to come in as planned.
“This additional State support gives Buffalo an opportunity to make our budget more stable, more responsible, and more sustainable. I want to thank Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and our State delegation for recognizing both the seriousness of the City’s fiscal challenges and the importance of helping Buffalo navigate them responsibly. This funding will allow us to reduce reliance on uncertain revenues while continuing to protect the core services our residents depend on.”
If the uncertain revenue materializes, the city will use the $25 million to replenish its emergency reserves which are currently empty. That will give the city the cash flow to front improvement projects if needed, according to Ryan.
"Right now we don't have the money on hand to do those projects," Ryan said. "So this year we are doing Main Street. If we had the money on hand we could have done Main and Bailey in the same summer."
Earlier this week, the Buffalo Common Council voted through an amended City of Buffalo budget. The twist — the changes the council voted for did not come from the council itself, but from the mayor's office. In an apparent act of compromise to get the budget across the line, Ryan proposed an amendment package including cuts in the Department of Public Works and by getting rid of five unfilled jobs within City Hall. The budget also included a 19% property tax levy increase, down from the 25% hike originally proposed by Mayor Ryan.
The budget passed with a vote of 5-4 with those amendments. Councilmembers Joseph Golombek, Zeneta Everhart, Leah Halton-Pope and Bryan Bollman voted no, with Councilmembers Mitch Nowakowski, Joel Feroleto, David Rivera, Rasheed Wyatt and Christopher Scanlon voting yes.
Speaking after the meeting earlier this week, Ryan said the budget reflects the start of a "culture change" at City Hall. He also acknowledged the budget's shortcomings with the compromises in mind.
You can find more information on the Buffalo budget here and more information on New York's FY 2027 budget here.
WATCH: City of Buffalo to receive an additional $25M from New York State to help reduce budget uncertainty
