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Buffalo Arts Commission chair warns budget cuts and ordinance changes leave $2 million in projects without staff oversight
Summary
Catherine Gillespie told the council that a December ordinance removed the Arts Commission executive director line and the current budget erases the staff position, jeopardizing roughly $2 million in public-art projects and contracts.
Catherine Gillespie, chair of the Buffalo Arts Commission, told the Common Council that an ordinance approved in December 2025 eliminated the commission’s executive director and that the current budget erases the commission’s staff line. Gillespie said the change has left volunteers without the authority or capacity to manage contracts, issue RFPs, or maintain state-mandated records.
"Unbeknownst to us, in December 2025, the city quietly approved legislation that both eliminated the Buffalo Arts Commission Executive Director," Gillespie said, and described roughly $2,000,000 in projects now at risk because there is no dedicated staff to oversee them.
Gillespie asked the council to restore essential staff so the commission can process contracts, oversee restoration projects, and manage public-art programs embedded in the city code. She said volunteers can advise but cannot legally or practically fulfill procurement, contracting and records responsibilities required by state and municipal rules.
No administration response to that specific warning appears in the hearing record. Council staff noted follow-up deliberations and meetings with department heads are scheduled before the council’s vote on the budget.
