Page 1 - RR-6-25-26

R VERR CK TIMES

Vol. 6 No. 12 Thursday, June 25, 2026 Covering the Northwest Corner of Buffalo

Rivera beats Comptroller’s office

Zellner in explains details behind

Senate race
Former 149th Assembly District city’s budget woes
representative Jonathan D. Rivera
defeated incumbent Jeremy J. Zell- By Amber Healy
ner in the Democratic primary for hen the Buffalo Com-
NY’s 61st Senate seat. Rivera gar- mon Council voted to
nered 10,076 votes to Zellner’s Wapprove the budget set
8,270. forth by Mayor Sean Ryan a few
The district includes parts of the weeks ago, it did so with a 19%
Cities of Buffalo and Tonawanda, increase on the tax levy, expected to
the towns of Amherst, Grand Island, bring in nearly an additional $53
Mark your calendars for and Tonawanda and the villages of million to the city’s bank accounts.
The adopted budget for fiscal
Kenmore and Williamsville.
Amherst Street Live! July 17 Following the election, Rivera year 2027, including the 19% tax
said, “I am deeply honored and increase – less than the 25% the
By Amber Healy from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, July 17. humbled by the trust the people of mayor originally called for – is
oe Maniaci was having dinner The idea is simple: Bands will this district have placed in me. This $674,983,011, representing an
on Hertel Avenue one Friday play sets of at least an hour or 90 victory belongs to every volunteer 8.5% increase over the Buffalo Comptroller Barbara
Jnight a few summers ago and minutes in front of bars, restaurants who knocked on a door, every sup- $622,074,415 in the fiscal year Miller-Williams.
was inspired by what he saw. and shops on Amherst Street as a porter who made a phone call, every 2026 budget.
“It was really nice. I’m walking way to not only bring people out on labor member who stood with us, But what the budget conversa- • In all, nearly $545 million of
to go for dinner and across the a Friday night, but to help introduce and every voter who believed that tions didn’t discuss is how much of the total budget, or 80.71%, is dedi-
street, there’s a band playing. Next them to what Black Rock has to our community deserves a strong the city’s spending is locked in and cated to insurance, debt service fees,
to the restaurant I went to, there was offer. The performances will be out- voice in Albany." non-negotiable, tied up in pensions, retirement policies, utilities and oth-
another band playing, different side – weather permitting – on the In the 149th Assembly District health care and personnel salaries er obligations, leaving little room for
kinds of music too,” he says. “It was sidewalk, drawing attention to each race attorney Adam Bojak won a for city employees at all levels. cuts or savings.
just really cool.” location. three-way primary that included en- During this month’s meeting of Revenue questioned
If imitation is the sincerest form The full list of bands will be dorsed Democrat Karen Hoak and the Rediscover Riverside group, on There are five items in the bud-
of flattery, Hertel Avenue should be announced soon, but expect to hear Kevin W. Deese. Bojak tallied June 17, City Comptroller Barbara get that the comptroller’s office list-
blushing with pride as Maniaci bor- live music at Corneille Caribbean 3,961 votes while Hoak had 2,651 Miller-Williams, along with her ed as increased sources of revenue:
rows the idea to bring together Am- Kitchen, Fresh Arabic Sweets, Al- and Deese had 1359. deputy comptroller, Delano Dow- an additional $10 million in taxes;
herst Street Live, a three-hour event lentown Music, AE Fit 716/Dapper The general election will take ell, Sr., and special assistant Carol $10.2 million in fines collected from
featuring live music on Amherst Goose, Enchanted and Aligned, Hot place in November. Bojak’s Repub- Burns, walked through the city’s outstanding balances; $15 million
Street in front of businesses from Mama’s Canteen and possibly The lican opponent in November is spending details for the upcoming from New York State in terms of Aid
Bridgeman to Military Road, all Hamburg Councilman Frank Bogul- year. and Incentives for Municipalities
Continued on page 3 ski. Among the most noteworthy
numbers: funds; $10.5 million from the Sene-
ca Nation-operated casino down-
• Annual salaries account for
NY State provides funding for $194 million of the city’s overall town, and $20 million from the
budget, the highest single expense. much-discussed possible sale of
parking lots currently owned by the
Black Rock Riverside Alliance repairs That does not include nearly $62 city to the parking authority.
million in health insurance costs for
Dowell said he’d like to see more
active employees and $43 million
By Amber Healy One of the other big information from the administration
for retired personnel. Last year’s
ust a few weeks after cel- projects on the horizon on how they came up with these
ebrating its 15th anniver- for the Alliance is some personnel services budget was near- numbers, as they were simply pre-
ly $191 million, a change that re-
Jsary, the Black Rock renovation to the meeting sented in the budget without any
Riverside Alliance is receiv- room in the front of the flects the additional staff hired by rationale behind the amounts provid-
the mayor and other new hires.
ing another boost to help con- building, which used to ed. This $65 million represents near-
tinue its community work for be a bank. Evidence of its • The Buffalo Board of Educa- ly 10% of the city’s overall
tion will receive nearly $71 million,
the two neighborhoods. past life remains: A dis- anticipated revenue for fiscal year
Saturday morning, NY play case with images but the city has no say over how 2027.
that money is spent within the Buf-
State Senator Jeremy Zellner from the groups that call falo Public Schools system. The Borrowing fight
announced $115,000 in state the building home now Comptroller Miller-Williams al-
allotment for 2027 is the same as it
funds to support the organiza- take up the space where was for the past several budgets, but so addressed her ongoing court case
tion’s efforts. tellers used to stand; against the city. She has declined to
as Dowell noted, the city is prohib-
“From community gardens there’s still built-in cub- ited from reducing the amount of go to the bid market to secure fund-
and storefront improvements bies along the front win- ing for additional construction proj-
money given to schools; it can only
to public spaces and neighbor- dow where deposit and be increased.
hood beautification, the orga- withdrawal slips used to Continued on page 3
nization has worked tirelessly be tucked away.
to improve quality of life for In addition to the Al- ATTENTION PROPERTY OWNERS!
residents and bring new in- liance, the Black Rock
vestment into Black Rock and Joe Kedron, BRRAlliance vice president and Harbor Center also is If you own property in the following blocks:
Riverside,” Zellner said in a Buildings and Grounds Committee chair; Sena- home to the Buffalo Ni- Amherst Street - #208 - #679
Facebook post. “That’s why I tor Jeremy Zellner; and Louis Haremski, presi- agara River Land Trust, Austin Street - #348 - #352
was pleased to secure Birds on the Niagara and Bush Street - #26 - #42
dent BRRAlliance board of directors.
$115,000 for renovations and the River Rock Run, a 5K Germain Street - #16 - #30
programming that will help the Alli- “This finding will allow us to sunset race taking place each Sep- Grant Street - #927 - #1067
ance continue its mission. This expand our capacity to host commu- tember. The building also hosts the Howell Street - #1 - #45
funding will address critical facility nity events and fix our aging roof monthly meetings of the Believe in Military Road - #12 - #178
needs and support the community- and provide additional programs for Black Rock community group Peter Street - #21 - #35
centered work that has made such a residents of the North District,” says among others. Council Member Joseph Golombek and the Good Neighbor Plan-
difference in these neighborhoods.” Anne McCooey, executive director “Removing the teller space will ning Alliance is hosting a community meeting to learn more about a
In the past few years, the Alli- of the Alliance. “These are much double our meeting room size to proposed Grant-Amherst Historic District.
ance has faced some expensive re- needed improvements that will accommodate more and larger pro- Monday, June 29 - 7 p.m.
pairs to its home, the Black Rock serve all the organizations that call grams and activities,” McCooey American Legion Post #1041
Harbor Center on Amherst Street the Black Rock Center home as well says. 533 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14207
near Niagara Street. In early 2025, as the community groups that use Work on the roof will take prior- Chris Hawley, senior planner with the Division of Zoning and
the HVAC system needed some ex- the space. ity, however, in order to protect the Planning with the City of Buffalo, will be presenting information on the
pensive repairs, followed by leaks “Thank you, Senator Zellner, for interior of the building; work on the various types of historic district designations, how such a designation
developing in the roof this past win- helping secure these funds through meeting room will follow in the can benefit the Grant-Amherst community, and how property owners
ter. available New York State grant pro- colder months when the building can take advantage of these benefits.
grams,” she adds. tends to be less busy.