Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan is warning city residents that they could soon face a 25% property tax hike.
WIVB reports the upstate New York city faces an estimated $109 million deficit, with significant gaps in resources.
“We’re down about 50% of the garbage trucks we need, 50% of the snow plows we need, and we have police officers going two people to a car because we don’t have enough police cars,” said Ryan at a press conference.
To fill in the deficit, some proposals being considered include a $20 to $30 increase on property taxes.
“If we were to close that deficit just using property tax money, we were never going to be able to close it, so we’re looking at every tool we have to close this budget gap so we can buy snowplows, we can buy garbage trucks, we can buy police cars, so, you know, we think we can get the gap down using efficiencies, state money, from $109 to about $45 million,” said Ryan.
Ryan added the slimmed-down $45 million gap could be covered by homeowners.
“That $45 million gap means that every homeowner in Buffalo is going to be asked to pay about 20 to 30 dollars a month more in taxes,” he stated. “Right now, the numbers are still back and forth, about a 25% tax increase, that’s what we’re looking at.”
However, Ryan stressed the tax increase proposal was not a definite strategy and asked residents to have a “wait and see” approach before a formal proposal is put forth.
