Charles Riley, executive secretary of the Buffalo Sewer Authority, told the Buffalo City Committee on Finance on Tuesday, June 2025, that the authority’s board approved a $79,400,000 operating budget for 2025–26, a $5,000,000 increase from the prior year, and that the largest driver is rising debt service tied to long-term consent-decree capital projects.

"It is in the amount of $79,400,000 that's a $5,000,000 increase over the previous year's budget," Riley said. He told the committee the debt-service increase—about $3,000,000 next year—supports Queen City Clean Water projects, a 15-year capital program the authority said will total over $1 billion at roughly 55 locations across the city.

Council members pressed for clearer, local examples of rate impacts. Council member White repeatedly asked, "How much is this gonna cost taxpayers?" and said residents have reported "significant" water and sewer-rate increases. Riley said the authority is pursuing grants and low-interest loans through state and federal partners, including Environmental Facilities Corporation support, and noted the authority had secured grants and forgivable loans to cover roughly half the cost of some projects.

Riley gave several program details the committee requested: the budget was submitted to the state authorities budget office by April 30 as required; the authority funds a low-income and senior discount program that provides annual discounts of $60 (low income), $90 (very low income) and $106 (low-income senior) per year; the authority estimated the average annual sewer bill next year at about $477; and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds received were described in the presentation as about $850,000 for premium pay for workers.

A council member disputed the ARPA figure and referred to an amendment late last year that allocated a larger capital amount; transcript remarks referenced a December amendment of "over $11,000,000" and multiple council members said they understood sewer or water entities received larger ARPA allocations in some amendments. Riley said he believed the authority received about $850,000 and offered to return with more detailed, location-specific and ZIP-code-level information.

Riley also described the immediate rate and tax changes the authority expects next season: "The increase that will begin July 1, it's approximately $2 per quarter for the typical user. So about $8 for the year," he said, and added that the assessed-value sewer tax rate is dropping under citywide reassessment from "$1.99 per thousand down to $1.29 per thousand." Council members requested a follow-up presentation with concrete bill examples and outreach materials the council could share with constituents. The committee handled procedural motions and ultimately moved to table the item for further follow-up on details in committee.

Why it matters: the sewer authority’s operating budget and the long-term capital program driven by a consent decree with state and federal regulators shape future rate and tax obligations for city residents; committee members sought clearer numbers to explain impacts to ratepayers and requested additional outreach material.