Ballot question
City of Buffalo Proposal 3: Filling the Council President's district seat during an acting mayoralty
- On the ballot in
- City of Buffalo
- Vote
- Yes or no
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
The question, as printed on the ballot
Amends City Charter to empower the Common Council to temporarily fill the district seat of the Common Council President if that person becomes Acting Mayor.
A “Yes” vote means
Allows the Common Council to temporarily fill the district seat of a Common Council President who becomes Acting Mayor.
A “No” vote means
The district seat of a Common Council President who becomes Acting Mayor stays vacant.
Official plain English statement
When Mayor Byron Brown resigned before the end of his term in 2024 it created a vacancy that would not be filled permanently until the 2025 general election. It was not clear what happens when the Common Council President temporarily assumes the powers and duties of the Mayor if the Mayor leaves office before the end of their term. As the Common Council President is also a district councilmember and a person can’t be both Mayor and Councilmember, the South District was left without a representative for over a year. This Charter amendment would allow the Common Council to fill such a district seat on a temporary basis.
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
- 2026 General Candidates List · Erie County Board of Elections
- City of Buffalo Ballot Propositions 2026 · Erie County Board of Elections
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.