Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced a new program that with help low-income homeowners will bills, an updated streets and sidewalks plan, and a property tax increase in his annual State of the City address Monday.
After a moment of silence in remembrance of the lives lost on May 14, 2022, Brown began his State of the City address at The Statler.
There, he proposed a no-foreclosure auction this year and a one-time bill forgiveness program for low-income homeowners. According to the mayor, this investment of about $30 million in the one-time bill forgiveness program includes funding set aside by Gov. Kathy Hochul to help East Buffalo homeowners become current.
In addition, Brown directed the Departments of Assessment, Taxation, and Law to not hold a foreclosure auction this year in hopes that it will give struggling homeowners extra time to recover financially.
He also proposed a 3.8% property tax increase in the city budget. That's an additional $46 a year for a house assessed at $100,000. Brown also wants to increase the garbage user fee by $7-$22 depending on the size of the tote. These measures were recommended so the city could provide essential services as costs rise.
Brown said that the city's workforce is now over 40% people of color. He said that he wants to increase employment citywide through a new "Learn to Earn" program which will provide funds to Say Yes Buffalo, SEIU1199, and a collaboration between Villa Maria College and Bitwise.
The city will be making several investments into affordable housing as well as a $1 million award to the African American Cultural Center reconstruction project.
Additional notable investments include $1 million into emergency snow removal contractors, $11 million into one-time hazard pay allocation, $12.5 million into streets, $8 million into sidewalks, and $10 million into the Replacing Old Lead Lines program.
