Brown’s possible move is criticized by Our City Action Buffalo, a local government accountability group saying in a statement:

"One thing I’ve always stressed in my time in office is that whether it's the council, whether it’s the administration [or] the comptroller’s office, we are one entity at the end of the day," Scanlon said. "We’re the city of Buffalo incorporated, and we’re much better off going in the same direction. So again, trying to collaborate with everyone we can to move the city forward."

Brown’s possible move is criticized by Our City Action Buffalo, a local government accountability group saying in a statement:

"Today the Western Off Track Betting (OTB) voted on Mayor Byron Brown’s salary and benefit package, revealing that he will make $295,000 (plus incentives), becoming the highest-paid OTB executive in New York. This is a slap in the face to working Buffalonians who are trying to make ends meet and have not seen their quality of life improve over the Brown administration. In fact, Brown’s legacy will be defined by the statistics that he leaves behind: 28.3% of residents live below the poverty line - with nearly 40% of children living in poverty - which is the 7th highest percentage nationwide. Over half of Buffalo residents cannot afford rent, and one-fourth spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. 

The mayor’s departure is a microcosm of all that needs to be changed for Buffalonians to have an economic and political system that works for the many, instead of the rich and powerful few. 

After almost 20 years of inaccessible, top-down, profit-driven administration comes to an end, City Hall must become an open, transparent, people-first place. We call on our elected leaders to roll up their sleeves and work not just for the people, but with the people - to create a more equitable, sustainable, and democratic Buffalo."