BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Comptroller Mark Schroeder rolled out a plan Tuesday to address the growing number of public housing issues in the Queen City.

"The housing authority is not going to fix itself," said Patrick Curry, a spokesperson for the comptroller’s office.

Schroeder asked the city's finance committee to support a plan urging the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) to pay $50,000 for an external audit.

City leaders say it would identify areas of risk within the BMHA, and address complaints about deteriorating conditions within the housing units. 

"An independent, objective outside set of eyes to look at things and find out what's wrong,” Curry said. “Outside audits always boost revenue and create savings. That's what we need to do here."

Not everyone was on board, however.

"We do not agree with the comptroller's recommendation," said Gillian Brown, BMHA’s interim executive director.

BMHA leaders say they already get audited from several government agencies and oppose paying someone to come in from the outside.

"I have no idea where that number comes from,” Brown said of the $50,000 request. “Second of all, I don't think it's an expense we should be making right now."

Brown says the authority has been without an internal auditor for about five years, and is working on developing its own quality control team.

BMHA is working to "revamp the procedures and the policies and change the way we're doing certain things so as to do a better job more efficiently."

"Time's up. I'm very disappointed though that the BMHA is in opposition to our plan," Curry said.

Committee members also heard from local advocates urging them to support the plan, and wound up tabling it.

"We fully agree with the comptroller. He's not proposing that we spend the money, or he spends the money or the mayor spends the money,” said Richard Fontana, who represents the Lovejoy District on the Buffalo Common Council. “He's saying BHMA should spend the money and we fully agree with that. And by tabling, we continue to agree with that item."

The committee looks to draft a resolution urging the BMHA to fund the audit and fill its internal position.