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Ballot question

City of Buffalo Proposal 4: Limits on holdover terms; review of inactive boards

On the ballot in
City of Buffalo
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

Amends the City Charter to limit members of City boards from serving past the expiration of their terms and requires the Common Council to review boards that have been inactive.

A “Yes” vote means

Limits City board members to serving no more than sixty days after their terms expire and requires the Common Council to review inactive City boards.

A “No” vote means

Board members may keep serving after their terms expire, and inactive boards are not required to be reviewed.

Official plain English statement

Currently many boards, commissions and other public bodies that are in the City Charter remain in existence on paper even though they have not met in years, and many members of City boards have never been reappointed or replaced even though their term expired. This Charter amendment would suspend these dormant boards until the Common Council reviews the need for them and would limit the holdover status of board members to sixty days.

Question text is the summary line printed under the proposal's heading in the board of elections' "City of Buffalo Ballot Propositions 2026" document; the printed ballot's exact wording may differ. The explanation is that document's abstract.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.