BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen has heard the concerns City Comptroller Mark Schroeder has about Mayor Byron Brown's proposed budget.

He says Brown could be overestimating potential revenues by more than $30 million, but Pridgen says the council has been aware of potential shortfalls since they received the budget.

"This council does not want to reach back into the city's savings account each year to balance the budget," said Pridgen. 

According to Schroeder, Brown's dipped into the city’s reserves to the tune of $120 million during his three terms as mayor.

With little to no money to fall back on this time around, Pridgen wants safeguards in place to keep the city on budget.

"I personally and several of my colleagues will not vote on this budget until there is a plan in place that we are notified monthly of where we are in revenues and expenses and what the administration plans to do if either of those are out of line," said Pridgen. 

Commercial and property taxes are on the rise for the first time in 12 years.

Schroeder criticized the decision to wait that long, saying the delay was a political move to strengthen reelection campaigns.

Brown defended the decision, saying they were simply putting money back in the hands of the people, and Pridgen agrees.

"Buffalo is just getting on its feet, it’s not on its feet yet, it's on its knees. Now you have different revenues available, more people coming into the city and you have to right the ship. You need more police, more first responders, more garbage pickup, that's what happens when a city grows, it has growing pains," said Pridgen.

Pridgen says over Brown’s tenure, no one was clamoring for higher taxes, but with a Democrat in the mayor’s office, a Common Council made up of Democrats and no at large-bids on the council, maybe those voices just weren’t invited to the table.

"The checks and balances are with the people every four years. I would not be against an at-large person but I do not think the reason we are at the place we are right now is because we don't have an at-large person," said Pridgen. 

The city has until May 22 to make amendments to the budget.