Acting mayor urges quick approval of Buffalo Parking Authority appointments to avoid $26 million budget gap

Acting Mayor Scanlon told the Committee on Community Development on Oct. 7 that appointments to the Buffalo Parking and Mobile Mobility Authority must be submitted and confirmed by the New York Department of State before Dec. 31 or the authority will dissolve, putting roughly $26,000,000 in city budgeted revenue at risk.

Scanlon said, “if the appointments to the parking authority are not made and, okayed by the Department of State before the end of the calendar year, December 31, the authority would dissolve.” He added that the city’s adopted 2025–26 budget accounted for about $26,000,000 in revenues from the authority.

The council discussed the timeline and whether the committee should move forward with the appointments now or delay to allow incoming administration input. Council member Rivera said the concern was not personal to the acting mayor: “It's not a reflection on the current acting mayor or, any mayor that is about, to be leaving and a new mayor coming in.” Rivera also expressed broader skepticism of authorities, saying, “I have a concern regarding authorities in general. ... They're a separate body not accountable to the people.”

Scanlon named the proposed appointees in his remarks, citing a mix of public-sector and private-sector experience and saying the administration had included the $26 million in the city budget. He warned the committee that the Dec. 31 deadline comes from the enabling state legislation and is not a city-imposed date.

After discussion the committee moved to send the appointments “without recommendation.” The motion to send without recommendation was seconded; the committee record shows the item was sent on that basis to the next stage of review.

The committee also took earlier procedural steps during the meeting on the same item, including a prior motion to table that was later rescinded and a motion to revisit the item before the acting mayor spoke.

The packet and council record list the proposed appointees Scanlon named: Mister Aquino, Miss Nagy and Dan Leonard. Scanlon said the administration included a council member on the board at the committee's request and described the appointees’ professional backgrounds.

Next steps: the council referral will be transmitted in accordance with the committee motion. The committee did not record roll-call vote tallies in the transcript excerpt provided; the motion’s seconders are noted in the record.