Buffalo, N.Y. — Mayor Sean M. Ryan said that when mayors and comptrollers from other cities hear how Buffalo has fiscally operated, they’re shocked because it goes against basic municipal fiscal principles.

For more than a decade, Buffalo's revenues declined while expenses rose. Meanwhile, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany made modest tax increases along the way and avoided the position Buffalo is in today.

Ryan said he went to Albany with a budget plan, and that plan helped Buffalo secure $40 million from New York State. That money won’t solve all of Buffalo’s problems; it was needed only to close the gap in the budget the city inherited. He said Buffalo can begin fixing the structural problem with the first budget later this year.

Video: News 4 WIVB Buffalo / News 4 Buffalo WIVB Kelsey Anderson / Dave Greber.

Source: Buffalo Mayor in reports.