While the state budget has slowly come together, mayoral primary elections have been quickly sneaking up. On June 24, there will be Democratic primary elections in four of the larger upstate cities including Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

One of the most closely watched races is in Buffalo where Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon is trying to earn his first full term after the resignation of longtime mayor Byron Brown to head up Western Regional Off-Track Betting.

Scanlon is one of a crowded field of six candidates, including state Sen. Sean Ryan, who has the local Democratic nod and has been challenging Scanlon’s plan to balance the city’s budget.  

Scanlon’s spending proposal calls for a 3% bed tax increase for hotels, which is something that the state Legislature in Albany needs to approve. On the face of it, the obvious Senate co-sponsor would be Ryan, but Ryan is running against Scanlon for mayor and has not been supportive of the bed tax, arguing the visitors’ bureau is against the plan. Ryan was critical of the bed tax last year as well.

State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo) acknowledges the city’s enormous $50 million budget shortfall, but is adamant she doesn’t want the burden of closing the gap to fall on the taxpayers of the city. To that end she’s supportive of both Scanlon’s bed tax increase and his idea to create a public authority to purchase city-owned parking ramps. 

Scanlon will likely also have to increase the city’s property taxes to balance the budget and is considering some other out-of-the-box revenue raising ideas, reports Investigative Post.

Peoples-Stokes has requested an additional $5 million in AIM aid (Aid and Incentives for Municipalities) in the state budget for upstate cities. AIM was increased by $50 million in 2024 for the first time in 15 years. The majority leader is also pushing to link AIM aid to inflation.

The other Democrats running for the nomination in the Buffalo race for mayor include Common Councilor Rasheed Wyatt; former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield; founder of Buffalo ReUse Michael Gainer; and community organizer Anthony Tyson Thompson.

Peoples-Stokes told Capital Tonight she will not be endorsing in the race for mayor.