Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon has filed a lawsuit against City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams over her refusal to issue bonds for a number of projects that Council members approved last year. One city lawmaker says this is about independence for the lawmaking body.
Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski says he's filed a brief on behalf of Scanlon.
"From being a sitting Council member in the Finance Chair, this is to stand up for the independence, the authority and the prerogative of the Buffalo Common Council," said Nowakowski in an interview with WBEN.
He adds a large portion of the capital budget that was disposed of by the Common Council last December goes to the Buffalo Public Schools.
"If you're in a suburb, you every year go and vote on your budget at the ballot box, along with the capital purchases that can go bond out for projects. Here in the City of Buffalo, you don't do that. We collect tax revenue and we split that in half, and give it to the Buffalo Public Schools," Nowakowski noted. "And there isn't an avenue for the Buffalo Public Schools to bond out. Now those projects that the Buffalo Public Schools is bonded out for, 97%, is reimbursable by the State of New York through building aid."
Nowakowski also notes there are other projects that are in queue, including long-standing projects like Jefferson Avenue and Main Street, as well as Cars on Main Street.
"They're for fire apparatuses. They're for a multitude of projects that people want to see done in this city, and a large portion of those projects are federally and state reimbursable. So the facilitating body is the city of Buffalo to get these projects up and running," Nowakowski said.
One bonding project that recently was approved was for Sahlen Field.
"There seems to be an internal dispute between the City Comptroller and the Bisons, where the city that owns the stadium and the Bisons are ultimately a byproduct of Rich Products, which is the the vendor inside the facility that effectuates the company. There was a dispute between the bond funding and somebody performing third-party work, and not notifying the Comptroller's Office. But that seems to be resolved as the Finance Committee has gone forward," Nowakowski noted.
Nowakowski says the dispute led to the city missing this past construction season. That means the costs will go up when the projects have to go back to bid.
"We see the cost of labor going up. We see the cost of steel and supplies, we see supply chain issues, we see tariffs. We see all these economic indicators that ultimately drive up costs for projects to get done," Nowakowski explained. "Ultimately, when those projects are rebid out, they'll be at a higher cost to the taxpayers."
Nowakowski believes the matter will only be resolved in court.