Page 2 - RR-5-14-26

2 • • Thursday, May 14, 2026 PERSPECTIVES

Window broken at Black DiNapoli reviews Buffalo budget proposal

The City of Buffalo faces a pro- Appropriations
increase in solid waste user fees to
Rock Historical Society jected general fund budget deficit of A total of $478.3 million of pro- eliminate the annual operating defi-
approximately $103 million in the jected city expenditures are contrac- cit in the solid waste fund.
2026-27 fiscal year, in part, because tual, personnel-related costs The city’s ability to address the
the city historically has adopted including salaries, pensions and budget deficit is constrained by lim-
budgets that relied on nonrecurring healthcare for active employees and ited local revenue sources and con-
revenues to fund operations and un- retirees. While the proposed 2026- tractual expenditures, and a
derestimated expenditures, accord- 27 budget includes these expendi- multi-faceted approach will be
ing to a budget review released by tures, it does not account for poten- needed to resolve the deficit. Going
New York State Comptroller Thom- tial increases resulting from forward, city officials must:
as P. DiNapoli. impending collective bargaining • Better align recurring revenues
“Buffalo used up its savings and agreement negotiations. Five of the with current service costs,
one-time federal pandemic aid to city’s eight such agreements are ex- • Discontinue using non-recur-
cover past budget shortfalls, and pired, and the remaining three will ring revenues to fund ongoing oper-
now that money is gone and there’s expire in June 2026. ations, and
no extra cushion left to help balance Though not included in the pro- • Develop realistic financial
the proposed 2026-27 budget,” Di- posed 2026-27 budget, the general plans that include rebuilding and
Napoli said. “While city officials fund has historically funded annual maintaining adequate fund balance
have taken some steps to address the solid waste fund operating deficits and reserves.
projected budget deficit, they because the common council did not DiNapoli’s budget review relied
should also focus efforts on better ensure user fees were sufficient to on data and information from the
aligning recurring revenue with re- fund recurring solid waste fund ex- mayor’s proposed 2026-27 budget,
curring expenditures to help restore penditures. As a result, as of March the city’s audited financial state-
long-term fiscal stability for the 30, 2026, the solid waste fund owed ments, the city comptroller, and the
city.” the general fund $27.3 million and Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority.
by Amber Healy Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget does not have sufficient resources to
ne of the double-paned win- The mayor’s proposed 2026-27 repay that amount. The proposed Submitted by the office of New
Odows at the Black Rock Histor- custom-made vinyl window coating budget includes general fund reve- 2026-27 budget relies on a 25% York State Comptroller Thomas P.
ical Society is sporting a temporary that had been placed there several nues and transfers-in totaling DiNapoli.
patch in the form of a piece of wood years ago. $681.1 million and appropriations
after it was broken over the week- None of the artifacts inside the and transfers-out totaling $681.1 Quinn Minute – My frog drawing
end. historical society were taken and no million. This represents an increase
William Butler, the historical one came into the museum itself, of approximately 10% from the cur- by Rix Quinn
society’s president, says he noticed Butler says, adding he’s “a bit crest- rent fiscal year’s adopted budget of In my long and unproductive
the break on Monday afternoon, fallen” by the incident. $622 million. However, the city life, I’ve encountered several dis-
around 2:30 p.m. “Apparently, He seems most disappointed by comptroller projects actual 2025-26 gusting things…and I’ve stepped in
someone threw a heavy metal sewer the damage to the window graphics, general fund spending to total ap- a few of them.
vent cap” into the window, creating “funded by the Paul and Helen Ellis proximately $671 million. There- But few gave me more displea-
a small round hole through both Charitable Trust in 2023,” as they fore, the proposed 2026-27 budget sure than dissecting a frog. This was
panes of the glass and ripping the might be irreplaceable. a school requirement, and I dreaded
represents a 1.5% increase over the Image by Michael Rühle from Pixabay
actual projected spending for the it for weeks.
2025-26 fiscal year. My biology teacher, however, stuff. Each of us attempted to sketch
A real property tax increase of seemed to enjoy watching us ap- what we saw on a blank sheet of
Black Rock Arts joins celebration $46.1 million is included in the pro- proach a big vat of formaldehyde, paper.
posed 2026-27 budget to help ad- grab a pair of tongs, and fish out a We noted that some of the frog’s
of Robert Creeley’s 100th birthday dress the deficit while city officials long-deceased amphibian from the front fingers were missing. Probably
plan to address the remaining short- stinky liquid. the result of a frog-to-frog competi-
fall of $56.9 million with non-recur- After this, we chose a partner, tion.
ring revenues and other revenue then sat next to each other at a lab We handed in our sketches.
sources that may not materialize. table. For the dissection, we would Mine looked a little like a
Those include: share a frog. goat.…but not much.
Following instructions on a The teacher gave my artwork an
• $16.2 million from the collec-
tion of past due amounts from previ- large display in our textbook, we F-minus. I complained to her that
ous years, including $10 million laid the frog on its back, and noticed nobody deserved below an F.
from past due real property taxes this was not this frog’s first autopsy. She told me that this one was so
and $6.2 million in other fines and The chest was already open, so we bad, it needed special recognition.
violations; did our best to locate important or- Why have fairy tales been so
• $15.2 million from the sale of gans by moving them around with a popular for so many years? Why do
city parking structures to the Buffa- number two pencil. we remember them? Order Rix’s
lo Municipal Parking Authority; We noticed the position of the essay on this subject: FAIRY TALE
• $15 million of Temporary Mu- heart, lungs, and other disgusting WRITING SECRET on Amazon.com
nicipal Assistance state aid; and
• $10.5 million of local tribal County gas tax break fails to pass
casino proceeds for which there is Erie County Republican Legislators called for passage of a measure
no current agreement.
The former Amherst Street firehouse where Creeley once lived. The analysis notes the city has they introduced that will cap the Erie County sales tax on gasoline. But the
majority of Democrat lawmakers rejected the measure.
from page 1 previously relied on non-recurring
Mirabo Press along with the Buffalo revenues including federal stimulus “The price at the pump has gone up considerably due to the conflict in
about Creeley to be screened on day Correspondance School. More in- funds and surplus fund balance to Iran. By capping Erie County’s tax on gasoline, taxpayers would have
one of the symposium at the Burch- formation on the exhibit, and the balance its budgets. For example, gotten a little bit of relief, which they desperately need,” said Minority
field Penny,” Duvall says. full list of events celebrating Cree- the city used $331 million in federal Leader and Erie County Legislator John Mills. “We will keep pushing for
They’re also hosting a film night ley, can be found at stimulus funds since the 2020-21 relief at the pumps.”
on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m., https://www.blackrockarts.biz/exhi fiscal year to help fund operations New York State authorizes counties and cities to levy a three percent
showing a documentary called bitions/creeley. without identifying other revenue sales and compensating use tax on various goods purchased within that city
“Creeley,” from 1988 made by Buf- “Last year, around the time we sources to replace the temporary or county. Additionally, the state authorizes Erie County to levy an addi-
falo residents and UB professors opened Black Rock Arts, I was re- funding. tional one and three quarters percent sales tax, totaling four and three
Bruce Jackson and Diane Christian, minded about Creeley’s Black Rock Revenues quarters percent sales tax.
who were “close friends with Cree- connection and I decided to revisit “What we’re doing is changing the sales tax charged on a gallon of gas
ley and had a long relationship with his writing,” Duvall says. “At some The city derives 76% of its reve- from a variable rate to a fixed amount. This allows our constituents to at
him. The film itself is like an hour moment in my reading, images of nues from real property taxes, sales least save a bit on each gallon of gas purchased,” said Legislator Frank
long. It’s a lot of Creeley talking and artworks I’d recently encountered tax and state aid. The proposed Todaro. “With today’s vote, now our residents won’t get that break.”
2026-27 budget includes total real
reading. There’s some history. It’s a around town began dropping into
nice film but it’s not shown often,” my mind like a slideshow. Thus was property tax revenue of $230.6 mil-
lion, an increase of 25% from the
he says. born the idea for ‘There’s Things.’ I
In addition to the film, the ex- just started calling people up. Not 2025-26 fiscal year. Sales tax,
which is shared by Erie County, Published by Buffalo Standard Printing Corp.
hibit at Black Rock Arts, which will one person I spoke with said ‘no’ or
be up until the end of June, features ‘that’s weird,’ so I figured we were increased approximately 7% from Roger Puchalski - Editor
$114.9 million budgeted in the Roxie Harbison - Sales & Marketing
artwork inspired by Creeley from on to something. With Creeley’s
local artists including Gardner Asta- 100th birthday on the horizon, we 2025-26 fiscal year to $122.7 mil- Printed in Buffalo by Buffalo Newspress
lion in the proposed 2026-27 bud- E-MAIL riverrock@email.com
los, Anthony Bannon, Zi Daniel, knew this would be the perfect time
Chris Fritton, Bobbie Louise Hawk- to make a show about him with get. The proposed budget includes (716) 835-9455 • FAX (716) 835-9457
state aid consisting of $161.3 mil-
ins, Alexa Kanarowski, Liv Long, artists working here, where he had The views of columnists and letter writers do not necessarily
T. Mitchell, Denny Moers, Richard such an impact.” lion of Aid and Incentives for Mu- reflect the views of the RiverRock Times. Letters to the editor are
nicipalities, which has remained flat
Seehausen, Trudy Stern & Michael welcome at riverrock@ email.com or by mail: RiverRock Times,
Morgulis, Tyrone Williams and for more than 10 years. c/o 979 Grant St., Buffalo, NY 14207. They should be concise.