Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Following Monday's announcement of Byron Brown's intentions to resign as the Mayor of Buffalo in the coming weeks, local officials continue to provide their thoughts on the longest serving mayor in the city's history.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was first elected in a role in county government as comptroller in 2005, the same year Brown was first elected mayor in the City of Buffalo. Over the years, Poloncarz and Brown have worked closely on a number of matters in the partnership between county and city government.
Poloncarz wishes nothing but the best for Brown, as he will step away from his role as mayor to become the next president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting (OTB).
"He is going to still be working for the people, but in a different role," said Poloncarz when asked about Brown's recent announcement on Tuesday. "The county actually has one of the seats on the Board of Directors, so while he won't be a county employee, he'll be working for Erie County and the City of Buffalo, and other counties, the City of Rochester. So we wish him well."
Poloncarz commends Brown for the leadership he has provided for Buffalo over his 19-plus years in office, especially in the aftermath of the racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue back on May 14, 2022.
"He stepped up to the plate and helped lead our community through a very difficult time. The county was intimately involved, I was involved, but the mayor was the face of our community during that point, and I certainly have to commend him for that," Poloncarz said. "His government, there's different levels of government, you don't always agree on things. But I think if you look at the City of Buffalo today and Erie County today, compared to 2005, we're a better place.
"I always look at it as when I leave office, I want people to say, 'The community he took over is in much better shape today than when he inherited it, and the work that was done.' I think you can make that argument with regards to the City of Buffalo, even with the issues it still faces, because every city is always facing issues. That never changes. But our community, I believe, is in better shape than when he took office, just like I believe our community was in better shape when Mayor [Anthony] Masiello left and when [Brown] took office. You have to look at it in that regard, and he'll always be remembered for the actions and the leadership he showed following the tragic shooting on May 14."
One area Brown has come under fire recently is the timing of his decision to leave with the city facing some potential financial difficulties after this year. Poloncarz understands the potential deficits the city could be facing for next year's budget and the challenges associated.
"I think it's just a reality that there's going to be probably another property tax rate increase in the City of Buffalo, as well as some cuts. The question is, does it impact services? Even if it's a $25 million deficit, that's a fairly large deficit, And there's some things that are in the mayor's plan right now, which I don't think are going to happen, so that means that it may not be a $25 million deficit, it may be a $40 million deficit," Poloncarz said.
However, Poloncarz believes the new Acting Mayor, Chris Scanlon, understands what lies ahead of him once he takes over for Brown in City Hall.
"I've known Chris Scanlon for a long time, and we've already discussed a number of things," Poloncarz said. "I sit on the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority as a member of its the control board, and nobody on the control board wants to go hard. We know there's some financial difficulties facing the City of Buffalo. I believe Chris Scanlon, in his role as Acting Mayor, is ready to take action, from what he's told me. He said he thinks he can find some ways of saving taxpayer dollars by reducing expenses. He knows the next budget's not going to be an easy one. I've offered to him whatever assistance I can offer, and just pick my brain as an executive, especially if there are situations where he is the mayor and we have a crisis situation, or a winter storm coming up. My team will be working with his team, whoever that may be, especially in preparation for the winter."
Meanwhile, Poloncarz is hoping for Brown to make some substantial changes once he takes over as president and CEO of Western Regional OTB. He says the corporation needs to better prove it can ensure the greatest return for all the communities it serves through the money that's generated by OTB.
"Right now, it's been a pretty closed shop, and getting information, even as a representative member in the county, has been very difficult. There has to be more openness so that people better understand where the dollars are going," Poloncarz said. "I mean, OTB is not a taxing authority, it's not like a traditional government, but it is a public authority. It is owned by the people of the communities that make up OTB, which are the counties and the two major cities of Buffalo and Rochester. So it's owned by the people, and as such, it needs to be more open [with] where the money's going, the salary structures. We now know the salary structure of what will be Mayor Brown's salary, but what about the other individuals? What kind of contracts do they have? Things like that, so I'm hopeful."
It is unclear, at this time, what the exact timeline is for Mayor Brown's departure from office.
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