ALBANY, N.Y. — Today, Monday November 17, 2025, City of Buffalo Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan traveled to Albany for a series of meetings with senior budget officials from the Governor’s Office, State Senate, and Assembly to discuss Buffalo’s financial health, options to restore balanced budgeting, and how to rebuild the city’s reserves.
Ryan, who campaigned on a pledge to stabilize municipal finances and strengthen core services, emphasized that meeting those goals will require strong partnership from New York State, as well as a commitment from City Hall to operate more efficiently and modernize its revenue generation after nearly two decades with virtually no increase to the tax rate and an era in which the City reportedly failed to collect over 90% of its housing fees and fines.
“Getting back on solid financial footing will take discipline and collaboration, and we need to start immediately,” Ryan said. “Getting our financial house in order is going to require creative spending and help from the State government. Today’s meetings were about showing State leaders that we are developing a plan and that Buffalo is ready to be financially responsible.”
Ryan also announced that BuildABetterBuffalo.com has now received more than 1,000 job applications in just 11 days since its launch — a clear sign of the community’s enthusiasm for a new administration focused on transparency, accountability, and results.
“Building a better Buffalo starts with building the best team,” Ryan said. “We’re seeing talented people from across Western New York step up because they believe in our city’s future. The interest so far has been tremendous, but there’s still time for qualified candidates to throw their hats in the ring.”
The transition team has begun vetting applicants and will start interviewing candidates for commissioner-level roles in the coming days, followed by deputy commissioners and directors. Positions will remain posted until filled, with applicants reviewed on a rolling basis. The team will ultimately recommend top candidates to the Mayor-Elect, who will conduct the final interviews before selecting his commissioners.
Residents and prospective candidates can continue to apply and stay updated throughout the transition at BuildABetterBuffalo.com.