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{{Infobox legislature
| name = Buffalo Common Council 
| session_room = Buffalo City Hall, Interior, thirteenth floor, council chamber.jpg
| house_type = [[Unicameral]]
| leader1_type = President of the Common Council
| leader1 = Bryan J. Bollman 
| party1 = [[New York State Democratic Committee|(D)]]
| members = 9
| structure1 = Buffalo Common Council.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| salary = $84,472
| political_groups1 = 
* {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (8)}}
* {{nowrap|{{Color box|vacant|border=darkgray}} Vacant (1)}}
|meeting_place=[[Buffalo City Hall]]
|website=[https://www.buffalony.gov/362/Common-Council/ Buffalo Common Council Website]
|last_election1=November 7, 2023
|next_election1=November 2027
|voting_system1=[[First-past-the-post]]
|leader2_type=[[Majority Leader]]
|leader3_type=President [[Pro Tempore]]
|leader2=Leah M. Halton-Pope
|leader3=Bryan J. Bollman
|party2=[[New York State Democratic Committee|(D)]]
|party3=[[New York State Democratic Committee|(D)]]
|term_length=4 Years
|foundation=1832
|term_limits=None
|established=1832
|background_color={{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}|election1=October 15, 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:20070307 Buffalo Common Council Districts.JPG|thumb|right|Buffalo Common Council districts (black lines pre 2000 census redistricting, colors current)]] -->
The '''Buffalo Common Council''' is the legislative branch of the city of [[Buffalo, New York]] government. It is a [[representative assembly]], with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common Council also had as many as five [[at-large]] members and a Council President who were elected citywide. Each council seat is elected for a four-year term, with elections occurring during off-years, between mid-term elections and presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erie County, NY Board of Elections |url=https://elections.erie.gov/PublicOffice |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.elections.erie.gov |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
From Buffalo's incorporation in 1832 the common council existed under New York State charters.<ref name="History">{{cite web |title=History of the Common Council |url=https://www.buffalony.gov/441/History |access-date=May 31, 2024 |website=ci.buffalo.ny.us |publisher=City of Buffalo}}</ref> In the early years of the common council the [[Buffalo Mayor]], the head of the [[executive branch]] of the Buffalo government was also the president of the common council, head of the [[legislative branch]].<ref name="Rizzo">{{Cite book|title=Through The Mayors' Eyes: Buffalo, New York 1832-2005|author=Rizzo, Michael F.|year=2005|publisher=Lulu Enterprises, Inc|pages=400–5|isbn=1-4116-3757-7}}</ref> From 1832 to 1854 all mayors were also Common Council President.<ref name="Rizzo" /> [[Eli Cook]] was the first mayor who did not serve as Common Council President for his whole term as mayor.<ref name="Rizzo" /> From 1832&ndash;1913, no mayor served as Common Council President.<ref name="Rizzo"/> In 1914, New York State charters established a council that consisted of five members – a mayor and four council members.<ref name="History" /> From 1913 to 1927, the council was composed of the mayor, Commissioner of Finance and Accounts, Commissioner of Public Works, Commissioner of Parks and Public Buildings, Commissioner of Public Affairs, and the mayor was the chairman of the board.<ref name="Rizzo" /> In 1926, the Kenefick Commission was appointed to form a new city charter after New York State authorized its cities to write their own charters in 1924.<ref name="History" /> Since 1927, no Mayor has presided over the common council.<ref name="Rizzo" />

A 1983 downsizing eliminated two at-large members. A 2002 downsizing eliminated the remaining three at-large members and the elected Common Council President. The size of the council's membership has been shrinking roughly in tandem with the decrease in population.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

== Composition ==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="3" |Affiliation
! colspan="3" |Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
! rowspan="3" |Total
!
|-
|colspan=0 style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |
|colspan=1 style="background-color:{{party color|Independent (United States)}}" |
|colspan=1.5 style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |
|colspan=3 style="background-color:black" |
|-
![[New York State Democratic Committee|Democratic]]
!Independent
![[New York Republican State Committee|Republican]]
!Vacant
|-
!<small>End of previous legislature (2015)</small>
|colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|9
|0
|0
!9
|0
|-
| colspan="6" |
|-
!<small>Begin (2016)</small>
|colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|9
|0
|0
! rowspan="2" |9
| rowspan="2" |0
|-
!<small>End (2019)</small>
|colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|9
|0
|0
|-
| colspan="6" |
|-
!<small>Begin (2020)</small>
|colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|9
|0
|0
!9
|0
|-
|-
!<small>End (2024)</small>
|colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|8
|0
|0
!8
|1
|-
| colspan="6" |
|-
!Latest voting share
!colspan=0 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|100.0%
!0.0%
!0.0%
! colspan="2" |
|}

==Members==
The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] is the [[dominant-party system|dominant party]] in Buffalo politics; no Republican or other party member has won a seat on the council in several decades, and all occupied seats are currently held by Democrats. As of October 15, 2024 the current membership is as follows:<ref>{{cite web|title=Legislative Branch - The Common Council|url=https://www.city-buffalo.com/Home/Leadership/CommonCouncil|website=city-buffalo.com|access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!District
!Member
!Party
!District Name
!Tenure Began
!Term Expires
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1129/Darius-G-Pridgen 1]
|Leah M. Halton-Pope
|Democratic
|Ellicott District
|2024
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1147/Bryan-Bollman 2]
|Bryan J. Bollman
|Democratic
|Lovejoy District
|2019
|2027
|-
|[http://www.buffalony.gov/1151/Mitch-Nowakowski 3]
|Mitchell P. Nowakowski
|Democratic
|Fillmore District
|2019
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1155/Joseph-Golombek-Jr 4]
|Joseph Golombek Jr.
|Democratic
|North District
|1999
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=93 5]
|''Vacant''
|
|South District
|
|
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1143/Joel-P-Feroleto 6]
|Joel Feroleto
|Democratic
|Delaware District
|2015
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1133/David-A-Rivera 7]
|David A. Rivera
|Democratic
|Niagara District
|2007
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=96 8]
|Rasheed N.C. Wyatt
|Democratic
|University District
|2014
|2027
|-
|[https://www.buffalony.gov/1159/Ulysees-O-Wingo-Sr 9]
|Zeneta B. Everhart
|Democratic
|Masten District
|2024
|2027
|}
According to the web site of the City of Buffalo, there is a Majority Leader and a Minority Leader if there are members from more than one political party.<ref name="History" /> In practice, there is a majority leader even when all members of the council are from the same political party; a local law was passed in November 2002 to allow this.<ref>[http://www.ecode360.com/?custId=BU1237 ecode360.com] City of Buffalo Charter, section 24-12. According to ecode360, this is not the official version. However, the [http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Leadership/Mayor/CityCharter City of Buffalo] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208195812/http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Leadership/Mayor/CityCharter |date=February 8, 2011}} directs one here.  It is speculated {{citation needed|date=July 2013}} that this is due to a desire on the part of the City Government not to allow Citizens to actually know the law under which they have consented to live.</ref> Mr. [[Christopher Scanlon]] was appointed by a majority of the Council on May 16, 2012, to fill the vacancy created when [[Michael P. Kearns]] won a seat on the [[New York State Assembly]] in a special election to fill a vacancy there.<ref>Submitted by WGRZ Web Staff Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 1:29pm [http://southbuffalo.wgrz.com/news/news/65979-scanlon-appointed-south-district-councilman Scanlon Appointed South-District Councilman]</ref> Mr. Scanlon secured his seat by winning in a subsequent general election. Scanlon vacated his South District seat after he became Mayor of Buffalo through [[right of succession]] in October 2024, and the Common Council is currently considering legislation on how to address the vacancy.<ref name="b678">{{cite web | last=Whalen | first=Ryan | title=Buffalo Common Council resolution would address mayoral vacancy procedures | website=spectrumlocalnews.com | date=September 17, 2024 | url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/politics/2024/09/17/buffalo-common-council-grapple-with-mayoral-vacancy-rules | access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref> The term of all current Common Council members expires on December 31, 2027.

==Committees and Organizations==
*Budget Committee
*Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA)
*Civil Service Committee
*Claims Committee
*Community Development Committee
*Education Committee
*Finance Committee
*Joint Schools Construction Board
*Legislative Committee
*Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Committee
*Police Oversight
*Rules Committee
*Transportation Committee
*Water Front Committee

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.city-buffalo.com/Home/Leadership/CommonCouncil Legislative Branch - The Common Council] City of Buffalo website - leadership
*[http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Leadership/CommonCouncil/HistoryOfCommonCouncil History of the Common Council] The Buffalo Common Council- Through the Years
*[https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Buffalo+%28N.Y.%29.+Common+Council%22+manual Manual of the Common Council]: Two editions, 1897 and 1910, currently online courtesy of Archive.org
* [https://buffaloresearch.wordpress.com/common-council-proceedings/ Buffalo Common Council Proceedings: Online Editions] Digitized versions of Council Proceedings

{{City of Buffalo, New York}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government of Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:New York (state) city councils]]