Years of experience in government and budgeting usually produce a healthy cynicism about big numbers.
That’s a lesson I admit I overlooked when the City of Buffalo’s 2023-2024 budget was presented by Mayor Byron Brown and approved by the Common Council. I saw the first-in-many-years property tax increase and the increase in garbage fees as positive signs of fiscal reality. They were. But left unexplored were some serious issues, mostly on the revenue side. The issues are reminiscent of similar budget actions in years gone-by.
Politics and Other Stuff 