MAYOR BROWN ANNOUNCES HIS UPCOMING RESIGNATION AS MAYOR OF BUFFALO

Mayor Brown to pass the torch after nearly 20 years in office to Buffalo Common Council President Christopher Scanlon.

Mayor Byron W. Brown

Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown announced plans to resign in the coming weeks, citing a new opportunity as the next President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation for his early departure.

Mayor Brown said, “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as mayor of Buffalo for nearly 20 years. It’s been a pleasure working for and serving our community. I am proud of the legacy we built and the meaningful projects that have resulted in positive change in every corner of the city.”

After winning a historic write-in campaign for a fifth term, Mayor Brown is the longest-serving mayor in Buffalo’s history. He’s also Buffalo’s first African American Mayor. During his tenure, he led the city through a recession, a global health pandemic, social unrest, severe weather events, and a racially motivated mass shooting that claimed the life of ten precious people, and injured three others. Mayor Brown’s steady leadership, resilience and courage to rise through each of these very serious challenges have helped shape his legacy and reputation as one of Buffalo’s most impactful and respected mayors.

“My decision to take on a new opportunity was not an easy one after nearly two decades as Mayor. I really love this job as mayor, but in talking with my wife, Michelle, I think the time is right to transition into a new opportunity. I am proud of how far we’ve come since I first took office. Our community is now experiencing a wave of investment and confidence like never before. We saw our first population increase in over 60 years, and today people of all ages, backgrounds and incomes want to live, work, visit and invest in Buffalo.”

When Mayor Brown first took office in 2006, Buffalo faced significant fiscal challenges and he stated that his focus was to make Buffalo Stronger, Safer and Smarter. The city was under the control of a state-imposed fiscal control board, there was a hiring freeze, development had stalled, and job creation was sluggish. However, under Mayor Brown’s leadership, the city has experienced a remarkable transformation. He stabilized Buffalo’s finances, lifted the wage freeze, and guided the city out from under the hard control board. Buffalo’s bond rating improved from Triple B (BBB) with a negative outlook to A+ with a stable outlook, while the city’s tax rate is nearly half of what it was when he took office. Mayor Brown’s strong focus on economic development has been credited with ushering in over $10 billion in development since 2012, leading to the creation of thousands of new jobs and opportunities. Today, Buffalo’s fiscal health and development landscape are thriving, a testament to the progress made during Mayor Brown’s tenure.

Consider Mayor Brown’s other accomplishments; Spearheading the transition of a once undervalued City owned parking lot into HarborCenter. Returning vehicular traffic back to downtown Main Street. The first successful overhaul of the City’s Zoning Code in 63 years. With the help of federal and state lawmakers, Mayor Brown led the upgrade on major infrastructure projects, including the Ohio Street Corridor and the Rails to Trails project in North Buffalo.

Mayor Brown said, “I am so thankful to my colleagues in all levels of government for their support, including hundreds of millions in funding over the years to improve Buffalo’s infrastructure and quality of life and helped propel our City’s economic comeback. We got so much done by working together, and I am confident that same spirit of collaboration will continue in the years to come.”

There’s more; Record-breaking investments in educational supports like Say Yes Buffalo and Minority Business Incubators like The Exchange at the Beverly Gray, as well as investments in pools, playgrounds, ball fields and splashpads at every City park. Mayor Brown was also instrumental in the demolition of over 8,000 abandoned and blighted properties, the creation of over 5,400 units of affordable housing, and the hiring of the most diverse workforce in the history of the City of Buffalo.

The Brown Administration is credited with investing in proven strategies that have increased public safety in our community. In 2023, Buffalo saw a 28% reduction in shooting incidents, a 32% reduction in shooting victims, a 44% reduction in total homicides, and a 58% reduction in shooting homicides compared to 2022.

Mayor Brown is especially proud of the way the entire Buffalo community continues to come together for East Buffalo, which includes a City investment totaling over $140 million. $1 million has been allocated to the Buffalo Urban League’s new headquarters on Jefferson Avenue, that will bolster the incredible culture and spirit of our East Buffalo community. Mayor Brown says one of his proudest projects came with a vision and drive to spearhead the transformation of an idle brownfield parcel into the thriving Northland Workforce Training Center, where 550 graduates are now working in high-paying jobs.

Buffalo Common Council President Christopher P. Scanlon will serve as acting mayor. He will assume all the duties of the office for the remainder of Mayor Brown’s term, which expires at the end of next year.