BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- With Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's imminent departure and Buffalo Common Council President Chris Scanlon set to be sworn in as acting mayor later this month, the duties of president now fall on the shoulders of Lovejoy District Councilman and Pro Tempore Bryan Bollman.
“It was the worst kept secret that this could be happening is what everyone's saying and honestly, I'm prepared, ready to step up," Bollman said. “I'm honored, I'm humbled, and I can assure the residents that I'm going to work hard and do everything I can."
For the first time in over a decade in January of this year, the council selected a new council president, unanimously voting in Scanlon.
Bollman, one of three current members on the council's leadership team, brings with him to the presiding chair five years of council member experience and over a decade of working in city hall, all while working alongside Scanlon, which he said will help with a smooth transition.
“All of our colleagues supported Chris Scanlon as their council president. He knows the duties of a council member," he said. "He'll see it very fresh from that perspective so I think that will help in the sense of when we're tackling a difficult budget ahead of us, that he'll know the perspective of a council member."
Brown spoke about the city's budget Monday and said that the shortfall staring down the city next year is around $25 million.
“Try to find it out to the residents. I'm not really interested in doing that. I've always taken it very seriously when we're talking about raising taxes on residents,” Bollman said.
Bollman discussed his plan as council president to tackle this gap without raising residents' taxes.
“Talk of a biweekly recycling instead of weekly, the bulk trash pickups instead of two every year, one per year," Bollman said. "So those are all different things that could potentially save us money. So, all the things we're looking at."
On Tuesday, the council debated policy to amend the city charter to fill the South District's vacancy amid Scanlon's departure.
“The council member is a very important role, so I feel like they should have a voice. So whether we appoint a new member or approach this differently, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out," Bollman said. "I definitely want the residents of South Buffalo to rest assured that they need representation and I want to see that happen."
Bollman told WIVB News 4 that the council, along with a new but familiar face as mayor, will work collaboratively to see the city through this transition and times ahead.
“Him and I are both similar in the sense of we're very levelheaded and really taking an approach where, you know, you look at issues from a level headed perspective," Bollman said. "As a council member for the last five years, being very close with the residents and listening and really trying to bring their voice right to the city hall and I'll be doing that from the council presidency."
Bollman will remain as council president until the council reorganizes in January 2026.
Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
