Buffalo City Council confirms police commissioner 5–4 after heated debate over $250,000 salary and philanthropic support

The Buffalo City Council voted 5–4 to confirm the mayor’s nominee for police commissioner after a lengthy debate that centered on a proposed $250,000 salary and whether philanthropic funds would be used to offset the cost.

Council members deliberated for more than an hour on Item 3 of the agenda, with arguments focusing on budget priorities, the role of outside funding in city personnel decisions and allegations that council members had been pressured about how to vote. The roll-call vote recorded five yes votes and four no votes; the motion to confirm the nominee passed.

Why it matters: The confirmation comes amid an ongoing budget process in which council members said residents are facing a reported 25% tax increase. Several council members said using foundation money to pay a higher salary for a commissioner could set a precedent for private influence over public positions.

Council member Bowman raised constituent concerns about the salary increase, saying the proposal to set the police commissioner’s pay at $250,000 was a source of local unease and noting the administration had indicated philanthropic funds might offset the cost. “That certainly helped calm some of my concerns,” Bowman said during discussion, but he and others pressed for clarity on whether those offsets would appear in the budget.

Council member Glombek criticized the size of the proposed raise in stark terms, saying the increase was inappropriate for a city with high poverty levels. “This is unconscionable,” Glombek said, urging the council to examine the budget line by line and prioritize community services over salary increases.

Several council members voiced a second concern: whether outside philanthropic support for salary lines could lead to undue influence. “At what point does an advocacy group or a group of philanthropic organizations providing this funding start to wield…influence?” Council member Scanlon asked, urging further scrutiny of any arrangement that places salary support outside the formal city budget process.

President Pro Tem Everhart said she would not support the nominee and described receiving threats and attempts at intimidation tied to the matter. “I will not be pressured, intimidated, nor threatened,” Everhart said on the council floor, adding that she would vote her conscience despite the pressure she described. Several colleagues, including Majority Leader Halton Pope, said they had also received calls and that such behavior was inappropriate; Pope said his decision was based on concerns from constituents and his review of documents and interviews, but that his vote was not personal: “My vote today is not personal. It’s not a reflection of ill will, nor is it a signal that I’m unwilling to work collaboratively.”

Other members backed the nominee’s experience and said the city needs leadership to address longstanding public safety and conduct issues in the police department. Council member Rivera, who said she had met with the candidate multiple times, said, “She answered them professionally,” and indicated a willingness to work with the commissioner if confirmed.

Formal vote: The clerk conducted a roll-call vote. The recorded votes were: Bowman — Yes; President Pro Tem Everhart — No; Council President Ferra Leto — Yes; Glombek — No; Majority Leader Halton Pope — No; Nowakowski — Yes; Rivera — Yes; Scanlon — No; Wyatt — Yes. The motion passed 5–4. The vote was on Item 3, appointment of police commissioner.

Next steps and context: The council’s committee schedule was announced before adjournment, and members noted the city continues budget deliberations. The nominee’s start date, effective date of the appointment and implementation details for any proposed philanthropic offsets were not specified during the meeting and were left for follow-up in committee and the administration’s budget materials.

The meeting also included standard ceremonial remarks and announcements, including a brief invocation and an announcement that the fourth annual Buffalo Black Caucus will be held May 9 at Canisius University.

(Reporting based solely on the council transcript: the council’s discussion and the roll-call vote were recorded in meeting minutes.)