Sean Ryan Proposes Nearly 26% Tax Increase In Buffalo’s 2026-2027 Budget

One of the key themes that people in Buffalo, both politicians and residents, talked about in the lead-up to the last election was the state of Buffalo's finances. As New York State's second-largest city, Buffalo has a lot of eyes on it as it tries to dig itself out of a massive budget hole that is largely being blamed on lax financial policy over the last 15+ years.

Since January 1st, when Sean Ryan took over as the new Mayor of the city, we've learned a lot more about the condition of the city's bank account and what sort of changes may be on the horizon for Buffalo, its tax levy, and the services the city is supposed to provide for its citizens.

READ MORE: How Do Buffalo’s Taxes Compare To Neighboring Towns

It was just about a month ago when we learned that the city tax levy may need to increase by 25% or more, and now that Ryan has finally released his Recommended Budget for the 2026-27 City Fiscal Year, we're seeing exactly how much taxes are going up and what changes are going to happen to city spending.

Buffalo's Tax Levy To Increase By More Than 25% This Year

Coming in at 423 pages, the city budget that Mayor Ryan is recommending is includes increases in some spending, cuts in others, and an overall increase in the Tax Levy.

As part of the delivery of the budget to the Buffalo Common Council, Mayor Ryan released a video where he breaks down his budget proposal and the differences between what was budgeted last year and spent last year.

In the 2025/26 Fiscal Year, the city budgeted $607 million in spending. The 2026/27 budget proposal is listing $668 million in city spending, with an increase in the tax levy of $46,220,725 (from $179,382,900 to $225,603,625).

KEEP READING: Bad Cops Are Breaking Buffalo’s Budget

One thing to keep in mind when looking at the budget year-to-year, while city officials last year budgeted $607 million, that did not account for the actual spending the city does with staff overtime, the numerous lawsuits from bad police officers, and the government needing to hire outside contractors to take care of city services that local officials didn't have enough staff or equipment to handle. This new budget is expected to come within 2% of what the city actually spends.

To help people understand the budget and ask questions, both Mayor Ryan and members of the Buffalo Common Council are hosting a series of neighborhood meetings. You can review some highlights from this year's proposed budget below, and you can watch Mayor Ryan's address here.

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