By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The Mayor's request to end the wage freeze was not acted on at Wednesday's meeting of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority.
Board Chairman Brian Lipke says while the city's fiscal health has improved, he needs assurances that certain spending disciplines would be put into effect. For now, the board has asked Mayor Byron Brown to provide a full review of how lifting the freeze would affect city spending.
Buffalo Police union president Bob Meegan has long campaigned for an end to the wage freeze. But he's unwilling to let the control board off the hook for what he says is the board's failure to honor the police contract.
School officials warned the control board yesterday that lifting the wage freeze would create a $20 million budget gap that could mean 400 job cuts.