BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chris Scanlon inherited a more than $70 million budget deficit when he assumed the role of acting mayor when Byron Brown resigned on Oct. 15, 2024.

One of the reasons for that budget deficit was unpaid user fees.

"What you saw was a practice of not collecting on those from those ratepayers," Scanlon told 2 On Your Side . "And that's not sustainable."

At the end of 2024, Scanlon called on the Buffalo Water to provide a full accounting of how it spent $11 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds, originally meant for an water bill forgiveness program.

Buffalo Water instead used the funds for capital projects, unbeknownst to the Common Council. That caused a special session, and an amendment to the city's ARPA spending plan to be passed last minute.

In the months since

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