Politics and Government of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York's government is run by a democratically elected mayor and council of nine members.
Local government
In addition to the mayor, the Buffalo Common Council, and the city departments (expanded below) at the municipal level, Buffalo also serves as the seat of Erie County with some of the 11 members of county legislature representing at least a portion of Buffalo. At the state level, there are three state assemblymembers and two state senators representing parts of the city proper. At the federal level, Buffalo is represented by three members of the House of Representatives.
Buffalo is home to one of the 56 national FBI field offices. The field office covers all of Western New York and parts of the Southern Tier and Central New York. The field office operates several task forces in conjunction with local agencies to help combat issues such as gang violence, terrorism threats and health care fraud.[1]
Buffalo is also the location of the chief judge, United States Attorney, and administrative offices for the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.
Buffalo politics
Buffalo politics is primarily dominated by the Democratic Party. There has not been a Republican mayor since Chester A. Kowal left office in 1965, representing 50 consecutive years of Democrat leadership. Of the previous 13 mayors, dating back to 1934, there have been only three Republican mayors. Currently, the mayor, all members of the Common Council, the city comptroller, and the Chief Judge of the City Court are all Democrats.[2]
Elected officials
Buffalo is the largest of the three cities (Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Tonawanda) within, and is the seat of, Erie County. The municipal government of the City of Buffalo consists of:
| Department | Office Holder | Party |
| Mayor of Buffalo[2] | Byron Brown | D |
| Buffalo Common Council[3] | Rev. Darius G. Pridgen (President) Richard A. Fontana David Franczyk Joseph Golombek, Jr. Christopher P. Scanlon Joel Feroleto David A. Rivera (President Pro-Tempore) Rasheed Wyatt Ulysses O. Wingo, Sr. | D D D D D D D D D |
| Buffalo Comptroller[4] | Mark J. F. Schroeder | D |
| City Court Judges[5] | Hon. Thomas P. Amodeo (Chief Judge) Hon. Betty Calvo-Torres Hon. Patrick M. Carney Hon. Susan Eagan Hon. Joseph A. Fiorella Hon. Debra Givens Hon. Craig D. Hannah Hon. Barbara Johnson-Lee Hon. Kevin J. Keane Hon. Amy C. Martoche Hon. James A. W. McLeod Hon. JaHarr Pridgen Hon. Robert T. Russell, Jr. Hon. Diane Wray |
State elected officials
At the state level, Buffalo is represented in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly by:
- 2 state senators (60th District and 58th District) in Albany
- 3 assemblymen (141st District, 144th District and 145th District)
The city is divided between two United States House of Representatives Congressional districts:
- The 27th (which also contains southern Erie County and Chautauqua County)
- The 28th (which also contains part of City of Tonawanda, Town of Tonawanda, Grand Island, Niagara Falls, northern Niagara and Orleans counties and most of the city of Rochester)
Buffalo and Rochester are the largest non-contiguous cities in the United States connected by a single congressional district.
City departments
As of October 2015 the Buffalo city government was led by:[6]
| Department | Commissioner | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration, Finance, Policy and Urban Affairs | Donna Estrich | Commissioner of Administration, Finance, Policy and Urban Affairs | |
| Assessment and Taxation Department | Martin F. Kennedy | Commissioner, Department of Assessment and Taxation | |
| Audit & Control | Mark J. F. Schroeder | Buffalo City Comptroller | |
| Board of Education | James Sampson Theresa Harris-Tigg Jason M. McCarthy Sharon Belton-Cottman Patti Bowers Pierce Mary Ruth Kapsiak Carl Paladino Larry Quinn Barbara Seals Nevergold Ameer Dunston |
President Vice President of Student Achievement Vice President of Executive Affairs Student Board Member |
West District Representative East District Representative North District Representative Ferry District Representative Member-at-Large Central District Representative Park District Representative Member-at-Large Member-at-Large |
| Buffalo Arts Commission | Catherine Gillespie David Granville Donald J. Siuta James Cooper Thomas Chestnut Kathleen Rooney Susana Tejada Joanna Angie Gerald Mead James Pappas Catherine Linder Spencer Ted Pietrzak Elisabeth Clarkson |
Chair |
Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Mayoral Appointee Common Council Appointee Common Council Appointee Common Council Appointee Common Council Appointee Common Council Appointee Honorary Commissioner |
| Buffalo Police Department | Daniel Derenda | Commissioner | |
| Buffalo Sewer Authority | For the 28th year in a row GFOA issues Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Buffalo Sewer Authority.[7] | ||
| Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) | Byron W. Brown Darius Pridgen Christopher P. Scanlon Brendan Mehaffy Timothy Ball Donna Estrich Joseph Golombek, Jr. Dominick Bonifacio |
Chairman Council President Councilmember E.D. of the City's Strategic Planning Corporation Counsel Commissioner of Administration & Finance North District Councilmember |
|
| Buffalo Water Authority | Oluwole McFoy William Sunderlin Gerald E. Kelly Michael Finn |
Chairperson Vice Chairperson Board Member Board Member |
|
| Citizen Services | Oswaldo Mestre | Director of Citizen Services | |
| Office of City Clerk | Gerald Chwalinski | Department Head | |
| Civil Service | |||
| Commission on Citizens' Rights and Community Relations | Crystal J. Rodriguez Kenneth Simmons Sherrill W. Colston John Calvin Davis Dana Floriano David Granville Sheila Wallace Gary Wilson Zaw Win |
Department Head Interim Chairperson Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member |
|
| Community Services and Recreational Programming | Otis Barker | Deputy Commissioner | |
| Emergency Management Services | Garnell W. Whitfield, Jr. | Commissioner | |
| Buffalo Fire Department | Garnell W. Whitfield, Jr. | Commissioner | |
| Human Resources | Gladys Herndon-Hill | Commissioner | |
| Law Department | Timothy A. Ball | Corporation Counsel | |
| Management Information Systems | Kenneth M. Barnes | Chief Information Officer | |
| Office of Senior Services | |||
| Office of Strategic Planning | Brendan R. Mehaffy | Executive Director | |
| Parking Department | Kevin Helfer | Commissioner | |
| Permit and Inspection Services | James Comerford, Jr. | Commissioner | |
| Public Works, Parks & Streets | Steven Stepniak | Commissioner | |
| Real Estate | Christie Nelson | Director of Real Estate | |
| Telecommunications, Utilities and Franchises | T. Tarapacki | ||
History
Buffalo has a rich, and infamous, history with presidential politics. Two presidents hail from Buffalo: Millard Fillmore (13th President) and Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th President).
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore lived in East Aurora.[8][9] Though Fillmore's ancestors were Scottish Presbyterians on his father's side and English dissenters on his mother's, he became a Unitarian in later life.[10] His father apprenticed him to cloth maker Benjamin Hungerford in Sparta, New York,[11] at age fourteen to learn the cloth-making trade. He left after four months, but subsequently took another apprenticeship in the same trade at New Hope, New York. He struggled to obtain an education living on the frontier and attended New Hope Academy for six months in 1819, where he met his future wife Abigail Powers.[12] Later that year, he began to clerk and study law under Judge Walter Wood of Montville.
Fillmore bought out his cloth-making apprenticeship, left Judge Wood, and moved to Buffalo, where he continued his studies in the law office of Asa Rice and Joseph Clary. He was admitted to the bar in 1823 and began his law practice in East Aurora, New York. In 1825, he built a house there for himself and Abigail. They were married on February 5, 1826. They had two children, Millard Powers Fillmore and Mary Abigail Fillmore. In 1834, he formed a law partnership, Fillmore and Hall (which became Fillmore, Hall and Haven in 1836), with close friend Nathan K. Hall who would later serve in his cabinet as Postmaster General.[13] It would become one of western New York's most prestigious firms,[14] and exists to this day as Hodgson Russ LLP.
Fillmore served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 32nd district 32nd (1833-1835) and again (1837-1843), the 14th Comptroller of New York (1848-1849), 1st Chancellor of the University of Buffalo (1846–1874), 12th Vice President of the United States (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850), and the 13th President of the United States (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853).
Fillmore founded the University at Buffalo. Fillmore was the first Chancellor, a position he held as Vice President and as President. After leaving office, Fillmore returned to Buffalo and continued to serve as chancellor of the school.[15] He also helped found the Buffalo Historical Society and the Buffalo General Hospital. On February 10, 1858, Fillmore married Caroline McIntosh, a wealthy widow. Their combined wealth allowed them to purchase a big house in Buffalo, New York. They were noted for lavish hospitality in their home, until Mrs. Fillmore's health began to decline in the 1860s. Fillmore helped found the Buffalo Historical Society (now the Buffalo History Museum) in 1862 and served as its first president.
He commanded the Union Continentals, a corps of home guards of males over the age of 45 from Western New York. The Continentals trained to defend the Buffalo area in the event of a Confederate attack, as happened in the St. Albans Raid, and was planned for Johnson's Island. They performed military drill and ceremonial functions at parades, funerals, and other events. The Union Continentals guarded Lincoln's funeral train in Buffalo. They continued operations after the war, and Fillmore remained active with them almost until his death.[16]
Grover Cleveland
Cleveland first came to Buffalo, New York, where his uncle, Lewis W. Allen (founder of Allentown, Buffalo) gave him a clerical job.[17] Allen was an important man in Buffalo, and he introduced his nephew to influential men there, including the partners in the law firm of Rogers, Bowen, and Rogers.[18] Cleveland later took a clerkship with the firm, began to read the law, and was admitted to the bar in 1859.[19]
Cleveland worked for the Rogers firm for three years, then left the firm in 1862 to start his own practice.[20] In January 1863, he was appointed assistant district attorney of Erie County.[21] With the American Civil War raging, Congress passed the Conscription Act of 1863, requiring able-bodied men to serve in the army if called upon, or else to hire a substitute.[19] Cleveland chose the latter course, paying George Benninsky, a thirty-two-year-old Polish immigrant, $150 to serve in his place.[22] As a lawyer, Cleveland became known for his single-minded concentration and dedication to hard work.[23] In 1866, he successfully defended some participants in the Fenian raid free of charge.[24] In 1868, Cleveland attracted professional attention for his winning defense of a libel suit against the editor of Buffalo's Commercial Advertiser.[25]
Cleveland served as the 17th Sheriff of Erie County (1871-1873), 34th Mayor of Buffalo (January 2, 1882 - November 20, 1882) before becoming the 28th Governor of New York in 1883 and later President of the United States.
William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt
Additionally, President William McKinley was shot and mortally wounded at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901.[26] He died in the city eight days later[27] and Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in at the Wilcox Mansion as the 26th President of the United States.[27]
See also
References
- ↑ "FBI Buffalo Division". Buffalo.fbi.gov. March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011.
- 1 2 "Mayor's Office". city-buffalo.com. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ↑ "Legislative Branch - The Common Council". city-buffalo.com. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ↑ "City Comptroller - City of Buffalo". city-buffalo.com. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ↑ "Buffalo City Court, Erie County". nycourts.gov. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ↑ "City Departments". ci.buffalo.ny.us. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ↑ "Buffalo Sewer Authority". city-buffalo.com. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ↑ Smyczynski, Christine A. (2005). "Southern Erie County – "The Southtowns"". Western New York: From Niagara Falls and Southern Ontario to the Western Edge of the Finger Lakes. The Countryman Press. p. 136. ISBN 0-88150-655-9.
- ↑ Smith, H. Perry, ed. (1884). History of the City of Buffalo and Erie County: With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Volume I. D. Mason & Co. pp. 547–8.
- ↑ Deacon, F. Jay (1999). "Transcendentalists, Abolitionism, and the Unitarian Association". UUA Collegium Lectures. Chicago. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
- ↑ Doty, Lockwood Lyon (1876). A History of Livingston County, New York. Geneseo, New York: Edward L. Doty. pp. 673–676. OCLC 14246825.
- ↑ "Millard Fillmore". EBSCO Industries, Inc. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
- ↑ Fillmore, Millard (1907). Severance, Frank Hayward, ed. Millard Fillmore Papers. Buffalo Historical Society.
- ↑ Paletta, Lu Ann; Worth, Fred L. (1988). The World Almanac of Presidential Facts. World Almanac Books. ISBN 0-345-34888-5.
- ↑ "Chancellors and Presidents of the University". University of Buffalo, The State University of New York. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
- ↑ Proceedings, Volumes 23-37. Buffalo Historical Society. 1885. p. 72.
- ↑ Nevins, 27–33
- ↑ Nevins, 31–36
- 1 2 Graff, 14
- ↑ Graff, 14–15
- ↑ Graff, 15; Nevins, 46
- ↑ Graff, 14; Nevins, 51–52. Benninsky survived the war.
- ↑ Nevins, 52–53
- ↑ Nevins, 54
- ↑ Nevins, 54–55
- ↑ "President William McKinley is shot". The History Channel website. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- 1 2 "Swearing-In Ceremony for President Theodore Roosevelt". Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- Scholarly studies
- Nevins, Allan. Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage (1932) Pulitzer Prize-winning biography. ASIN B000PUX6KQ.
- Graff, Henry F. Grover Cleveland (2002). ISBN 0-8050-6923-2, short biography by scholar
- Primary sources
- Nevins, Allan ed. Letters of Grover Cleveland, 1850–1908 (1933)