Politics
Buffalo Mayor Signs Revised Property Tax Assessment Ordinance, Shifting Relief to Select Wards
Buffalo homeowners in five designated census tracts will receive lower assessed values on their 2027 tax bills while commercial properties and residents outside those tracts see increases under the ordinance approved July 8.
How we reported this
Mayor Byron Brown signed the revised property tax assessment ordinance on July 8 that changes how the city values residential and commercial parcels in 2027. The measure directs the assessor to apply a 15 percent reduction in taxable value for owner-occupied homes in five census tracts on the East Side and in parts of the West Side. Properties outside those tracts will receive no such adjustment and some commercial parcels will see assessments rise by an average of 8 percent.
Why the change takes effect now
The city last updated its assessment formula in 2021 and state rules require a new equalization study every six years. Buffalo’s 2026 budget document, adopted in December, set aside $12.5 million for assessment-related adjustments after the Erie County equalization rate rose to 92 percent. City officials said the ordinance brings local practice into line with that rate and with data from the most recent county sales study completed in March.
Residents in the five targeted tracts will see an average annual tax cut of $420 on a median-valued home of $185,000, according to figures released with the ordinance. Homeowners in the remaining 35 city census tracts will experience no reduction and will absorb a portion of the revenue shift through the higher commercial assessments. Renters in buildings owned by entities that qualify for the new commercial rate may face pass-through increases in monthly rents when leases renew.
Budget figures and distribution
The ordinance draws from the $12.5 million line item already approved in the 2026 city budget. Of that amount, $9.8 million is projected to offset the residential reductions while the remaining $2.7 million covers administrative costs and a small reserve for appeals. The city assessor’s office will mail new notices of assessment by October 1, giving property owners until November 15 to file challenges.
Implementation begins with the January 2027 tax cycle. The assessor will use the new values for the 2027-2028 fiscal year and will conduct a follow-up sales-ratio study in 2028 to determine whether further adjustments are needed. City council members have scheduled a public hearing for September 10 to review preliminary assessment maps and hear comments from property owners in both the included and excluded areas.