Scanlon delivers address: Buffalo is at an ‘inflection point'
'I stand before you today with great optimism but make no mistake – we are at an inflection point in our city's history,' Scanlon said. 'I remain convinced that Buffalo's best days lie directly ahead of us but only if we have the commitment and grit to reach them.'
It was the first time since 2005 that someone other than Byron Brown delivered the State of the City Address. Scanlon touched on several of his priorities as Buffalo's Acting Mayor in the 23-minute speech.
Scanlon reiterated his plan from last month to introduce an occupancy tax for hotels in order to increase revenue. He's looking to instill a 3% hotel tax and is looking to receive authorization from the state. The move comes after a series of deficit issues in recent years.
'As we make the difficult decisions necessary to balance our budget, we cannot do so without support from our entire delegation in Albany,' Scanlon said. 'I have asked our local delegation to give us the tools we need to deal with our city finances ourselves. My administration is seeking authorization from New York State for a 3% hotel tax. Visitors should help us offset the cost of maintaining our historic institutions. Revenues from this tax will sustain capital improvements to city-owned cultural assets.'
After the address, Scanlon added that it's too early to tell if property taxes will continue to increase. Buffalo has experienced significant increases in property taxes in recent years.
Scanlon announced three new offices:
The Office of Emergency Management and Resiliency, which 'will help prepare us for any and all threats, prepare us for extreme weather and plan for the impacts of climate change,' Scanlon said. This office comes two years after the creation of the 'Emergency Services Manager' and 'Fleet Manager' positions. The current Emergency Services Manager, Thomas Luby, will run the new office.
The Office of Innovation, 'which will help prepare us for any and all threats, prepare us for extreme weather and plan for the impacts of climate change,' Scanlon said.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention. 'It is long past time we dedicated ourselves to addressing the causes of this epidemic,' Scanlon said. Scanlon said this effort was spearheaded by Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart.
Scanlon touted the success of the city's efforts at managing winter weather and keeping city roads safe.
'The extreme weather throughout the United States caused a nationwide salt shortage but no one knows how to get through snow like us. I'm proud to say that we've managed this winter by implementing our new snow plan,' Scanlon said. 'This year we deployed more than two dozen new pieces of snow equipment to our neighborhoods to clean our streets. … By investing in this specialized equipment, boosting our fleet and making targeted improvements, we're prepared to handle Buffalo's toughest winter challenges with greater precision and responsiveness.'
Scanlon also said the city's new 'pothole blitz team' has fixed more than 2,000 potholes within the city, with 1,200 of those coming directly from residents calling the city's 311 number.
Scanlon is looking to establish a new Parking and Mobility Authority, with the goal of streamlining parking operations.
'I don't think we should be in the parking business,' Scanlon said. 'I'd like to sell those ramps to an authority who can maintain them, take on the cost of maintaining them.'
Scanlon also announced the formation of a Small Business Cabinet, which includes several business leaders from the city:
Larry Stitts, owner of Golden Cup Coffee and president of the Greater Jefferson Avenue Business Association
John Glavey, owner of the Brick Oven Bistro
Lisa Riniolo, owner of The Garage Cafe and Lounge and member of the Hertel Business Association
Adel Munassar, president of the Arab American Business Association
David Metz, owner of Insty-Prints and member of the Chippewa Alliance
Conor Hawkins, owner of The Banshee Irish Pub and member of the Chippewa Alliance
***
Mark Ludwiczak joined the News 4 team in 2024. He is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience in Buffalo. You can follow him online at @marklud12.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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