BUFFALO, N.Y. — The city of Buffalo is dealing with potentially more than a $15 million hole in projected revenue in its already approved budget for the coming fiscal year.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said local leaders will figure it out.

"With any budget there are items that come in under budget and items that come in over budget,” Brown said. “We believe that we will still be able to satisfy the city's budgetary needs by working together with our city council and making adjustments as necessary.”

The city projected it would raise $4.2 million from a new bed tax on top of what the county already charges hotel and motel guests. However, state lawmakers representing the region have not moved forward with legislation to authorize the tax, citing concerns from the tourism, hotel and convention industries. 

Brown said he will continue to advocate for it even as it appears dead for now.

"We think it's good for tourism for the city to be able to invest in infrastructure and public safety so visitors that come here can have a good time, a safe time, and enjoy the environment around our entertainment destinations," Brown said.

The budget also projects $11 million in casino revenue sharing through a gaming compact between the Seneca Nation and New York state. The two parties continue to negotiate a new deal that many observers believe will fall short of the 25% net slot machine revenue the Senecas currently pay.

In the meantime, the Senecas continue to pay under the terms of the current agreement but the money is going into an escrow account and the city says it hasn't received any payment for this calendar year. 

"We are very hopeful that the negotiations between the state of New York and the Seneca Nation will go well because that is a critical resource in the city budget, the city of Buffalo, the Niagara Falls city budget and Allegany County (Salamanca) city budget," Brown said.

The mayor said that during his tenure, the administration has found ways to balance the budget and deliver necessary services.

"I'm confident that we're going to continue to be successful in providing services to our community and we will be going after every avenue of bringing additional resources into the city of Buffalo," Brown said.

The state Legislature in this year's budget did deliver $12 million in poverty reduction funding for Buffalo and $5 million in additional Aid and Incentive for Municipalities, or AIM, funding.