2 days Ago
When Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon stood in a packed convention center conference room Tuesday evening, the stated purpose for him was to take the oath of office to become mayor. It may have looked like nothing more than an official government act, but it was also something unofficial: the start of his mayoral campaign. Acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon vows to lead the city through perilous financial times during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Tuesday.
The ceremonial oath is not a requirement of the charter, as Scanlon remains an elected Buffalo Common Council president performing the duties of the mayor after Byron Brown resigned in October to lead Western Regional Off-Track Betting. Held after work hours, the event was attended by a who’s who of Buffalo bigwigs – most of his Common Council colleagues, city court judges, an acting and freshly elected Erie County District Attorney, the county executive, police and fire brass and well-heeled lobbyists. And it was paid for, mostly, out of Scanlon’s campaign finance account.
After reciting the oath, which contained additional clarifying language to note his acting mayor status, Scanlon launched into a short speech in which he rolled through his qualifications for the position, thanked and honored various constituencies and vowed to lead the city through the looking perilous financial waters. Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon held a ceremonial swearing-in event in the Buffalo Convention Center on Tuesday evening, drawing about 1,000 people to watch him take the oath of office. Scanlon, a South Buffalo native with a family history in Democratic politics, said he has learned a great deal about serving all sections of the city since becoming council president in January.
“During my time as council president, I prepared in a way that focused on every section of the city,” he said. “I worked with my colleagues on the Common Council to better understand the needs of their districts.” Whether he has always known it or not, Scanlon has been preparing for life in public office since childhood.
The son of John “Scanoots” Scanlon, the late political operative and key adviser to former Mayor Jimmy Griffin, local politics has long been part of the mayor’s life. During the speech, he acknowledged the importance of family in his personal and professional life, thanking his wife and mother for their support, praising his siblings and their families, many of whom work in public safety and other public service roles, and saying his father would have been very happy to have been in the room that night. And he honored his late brother Mark Scanlon, a member of the Erie County Sheriff’s office, who died in a hunting accident earlier this month.
“My family growing up, what we lacked in wealth, we made up for in life experiences,” Scanlon said. “My parents taught me and my siblings the meaning of a hard day’s work, the values of our Catholic faith and the importance of being a part of our community.” Council President Christopher P.
Scanlon said this week it will take the Council, the mayor, city comptroller and residents working together to ward off of a financial mess. Scanlon finds himself operating from an unusual position, with all the advantages of campaigning from office, but with difficult decisions ahead that may hurt his likely run for mayor and less than a year to get enough voters to get behind him. Shawn Donahue, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo who watches local politics closely, said that despite having fundraising advantages and the opportunity to grow his name recognition, Scanlon will now have to walk a tightrope in bringing together a city budget with his council colleagues that will minimize cuts to services, the loss of city positions and tax hikes.
But Scanlon’s proposal will be on the table and discussed in public in the final weeks leading up to the Democratic primary, essentially the general election in the heavily Democratic city. And estimated budget shortfalls in coming years reach into the tens of millions of dollars. “I think that the incumbency for the new acting mayor could cut both ways,” he said.
In the coming months, Scanlon will have increased visibility in the community, attending events, celebrating businesses and organizations, and making his way into news reports often. But as the details of this budget year come into focus, he will also have to take ownership over any proposed job losses or rising tax bills. “We’ll have to see how he and the council do that,” Donahue said.
“Does it require some cuts or tax increases that may not be popular?” No one, including Scanlon, has declared officially that they will run in next year’s race for mayor. But the field is already beginning to look crowded with some stiff competition. State Sen.
Sean Ryan is expected to run and has the war chest, fundraising apparatus and name recognition to run a strong campaign. Several rising stars in the political world from East Side neighborhoods – namely former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield and Zeneta Everhart, who represents the Masten District on the council – also are eyeing the race. A crowded field increases the chances of a chaotic primary that will come down to how each candidate eats into votes of the other.
The winner may not come close to winning a majority of votes, Donahue said. “With so many strong candidates, it’s probably unlikely somebody’s going to get over 50%,” he said. Scanlon, who was not available for an interview Wednesday, said during his convention center speech that he will face the fiscal challenges head on.
“I pledge that my administration will leave no stone unturned to maximize our service delivery while minimizing the impact on taxpayers,” he said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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