Buffalo Criterion

Buffalo Common Council President, James Pitts has drawn a new map for the reapportionment of the Buffalo common council based on the 2000 census. Pitts’s plan eliminates the Fillmore district, a seat soon to be occupied by his former political rival David Franczyk.

Unlike the boundaries of the current districts which zig and jag to take in white neighborhoods, or split Hispanic or Black votes, Pitts’s plan creates eight simple boxes for districts (with 36- 37,000 residents each) and, as far as racial gerrymandering to preserve certain council members is concerned: let the devil take the hindermost; Pitt’s isn’t going to do it.

His plan, of course, is advisory. The final plan will be drawn by a nine member reapportionment committee comprised of five appointees from the council and four from the mayor. Pitts has some support.

Betty Jean Grant (University) is advocating eliminating Fillmore - and one at-large seat. The Fillmore District could be divided between Lovejoy, Ellicott, and Masten, she said.
"Fillmore has 26,000 people," said Grant. "Most districts have 32 -35 thousand. With its current population, the city can survive with eight districts."

According to the 2000 census, Fillmore has the lowest population. District population totals are shown as follows:

Delaware 35918

University 35828

North 33153

Niagara 32971

South 32929

Lovejoy 32519

Ellicott 31673

Masten 31439

Fillmore 26058

Not all the council members are enthused about downsizing. Council member at-large, Charley Fisher said he only "grudgingly" supports it.

"It irks me to talk about cutting the council when no one talks about the (17 member) county legislature. Erie county lost the most population in the US. Yet there is this rabid desire, this thirst to reduce only the council. If you want it to be a check and balance, in a billion dollar system, with a strong mayoral form of government, a viable council is necessary."

Would Fisher support cutting Fillmore?

"Betty Jean Grant makes a case," he said "With only 9700 registered voters, Fillmore is in a class by itself."

Fisher points out that Fillmore includes mainly the racially mixed Broadway- Fillmore section of the East side and, via a long, but narrow strip, through (and mainly excluding) much nearer black neighborhoods, it includes a large development of white registered voters on the waterfront, the westernmost part of the city. The two separate areas have little in common.

"Can anyone deny that Fillmore was gerrymandered- based on race?" added Fisher.

It is the third fastest shrinking city in the US (behind St. Louis and Baltimore.) It has made council reductions in the past, reducing from 17 to 15 and lastly 13 members ten years ago. Buffalo has cut staff positions. Last year, the council reduced staff by 25%. The current eight may reduce to seven when staffer Bill Nowak, as is expected, resigns. Additionally, the council abolished five unfilled vacancies. Should there me more cuts?

Some have said let the people of Buffalo decide through public hearings or referendum. Some may want to keep the council the current size.

"We have to consult the people before we do anything," Marc Coppola (Delaware) said. "I think people like the fact that they can call their local Councilman, whereas they couldn't call the Mayor."

It seems inevitable that since councils operate with an odd number of members to avoid ties, at least two seats are likely to go.

 "It's likely to be one district and one at-large seat," Lovejoy council member Rich Fontana said. "But it could be two and two, or, perhaps, only at-large."

Most point to Fillmore however as the most likely to be cut.

"I'm in favor of eliminating one district member and one at- large," said Coppola, "Some have said Fillmore would be easiest to cut."

Asked about the abolishment of his seat, Fillmore council member-elect Dave Franczyk said, "All of the districts need to be looked at, not just Fillmore. But, I understand that Fillmore would be considered."

Franczyk suggests that instead of having a Council President elected city-wide, the members would elect a President among themselves, and eliminate the job now held by his foe, James Pitts.

"I think everything should be on the table at this point," he said. "... Now that we are down to a population of 292,000, (the council) should go down even further."

How much difference will it make? A pivotal question for a teetering on the bankrupt city. Buffalo’s budget is $370 million annually. The Buffalo School District is $504 million. The sum of the two is $873 million. The Common Council budget is $3 million. A cut of two seats might save $300,000.

The current budget shortfall is estimated from $8 million to $40 million depending on who’s doing the estimate. At best, the council cuts would leave a shortfall of $7.7 million. Could there be deeper cuts?

Masten council member, Antoine Thompson said he doesn’t favor more cuts to staff.

"If we cut it any more we won't even have the people here needed to do the job."

Fisher calls cutting the council largely "symbolic."

Thompson agrees. "The entire Council budget adds up to only about 1.5% of the total city budget. So if we eliminate a Council member or two, it's not going to make that much of a difference anyway."

(Glenn Gramigna contributed to this story)