Latest news with #ChrisScanlon
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact-checking attack ads in Buffalo Mayor's race
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – News 4 is Your Local Election Headquarters, and we're fact-checking nasty television attack ads from the top two Democratic candidates in the race for Buffalo mayor to help you separate fact from fiction. The Buffalo primary is just days away and will be held on Tuesday, June 24. In these relentless attack ads, State Senator Sean Ryan is depicted as being too dangerous to be mayor. The ads against Buffalo Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon claim that Scanlon is tied to President Donald Trump, Carl Paladino and MAGA Republicans. But not everything you hear and see in the ads is true. 'Sean Ryan is just too extreme,' one ad says. 'Carl Paladino and MAGA are with Scanlon,' another ad says. You've probably seen these dueling political attack ads all over the airwaves. The two top Democratic candidates in the race for Buffalo mayor hurling accusations at the other. Where to vote early for the primary election for Buffalo mayor In one ad against Ryan, Scanlon's campaign uses real Buffalo police officers, not in uniform, making the claim that Senator Ryan is too dangerous. And, that he voted for bail reform — that's true, but he's also supported revisions to the bail reform law ever since it was approved as part of the State Budget in 2019. It also repeats the false notion that India Walton wanted to cut $7.5 million from Buffalo Police and fire 100 police officers. This claim came up four years ago, during Walton's campaign against former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. As an activist, Walton was aligned with the Defund the Police Movement. But, as a candidate for mayor, Walton's campaign at the time said her plan was to reallocate money to mental health programs within the department and that this would not result in layoffs — so that claim in Scanlon's ad is false. '[…] and the hotel tax on out-of-towners to fund our police, he fought against that too,' the ad against Ryan continues. Yes, Senator Ryan has been against Buffalo's hotel tax. But, the ad gives the impression that the extra fee could strictly fund BPD, which isn't the case. Instead, the hotel tax would be a way to balance the city's budget — so this claim is partially true. The use of Buffalo police officers in political ads is a tactic that Byron Brown used to defeat India Walton four years ago and was a strategy that raised ethical concerns. In New York state, police officers are prohibited by punishment of a misdemeanor from using or attempting to use their official power or authority, in any manner to control, affect or influence the opinion of any citizen. 'If you read the statute very literally, you can see how someone could interpret that to say that what they're doing by getting on the ad, talking about police-related issues and then, having a banner that says these are real Buffalo police officers, but they're not in uniform, you could see how it could be interpreted to be an A misdemeanor, a violation of election law,' said legal analyst Barry Covert. Covert says officers in campaign ads could still be protected under the First Amendment for free speech. 'First Amendment political speech is the most protected in the broad array of what the First Amendment protects by way of speech,' Covert said. Scanlon's chief of staff and deputy mayor Brian Gould told News 4 in an email: '[…] any Buffalo police officer, male or female, that appears in a television ad for the mayor's candidacy is doing so as a volunteer, is not in a BPD uniform, is not representing themselves as a BPD officer or representing the department itself.' Buffalo PBA president John Davidson says: 'The Buffalo PBA is fully endorsing Christopher Scanlon for mayor of Buffalo and we encourage our members to support him in any way that they feel comfortable, including political ads, while off duty.' Big takeaways from News 4's Democratic mayoral debate Claims to defund Buffalo Police — although deceptive in these ads — can be effective, said Republican political strategist Carl Calabrese. 'Even staunch Democrats will tell you that when the Democrat party back in 2020 got onto the defund police message it was a loser and it's been a loser since and you've seen a lot of Democrats backtracking from those previous positions. So yeah, people want law enforcement, they want safe neighborhoods,' Calabrese said. We questioned Acting Mayor Scanlon on the use of Buffalo police officers in his ad. Asked if he was using real Buffalo police officers in his ads, potentially in violation of Election law, Scanlon said: 'I don't think that's the case at all, but I would say because the senator has a history, a track record of supporting legislation that impacts public safety in the City of Buffalo.' Now to Senator Sean Ryan's attack ad against Chris Scanlon. 'He's been Carl Paladino's pick,' one ad says. It's true when the acting mayor was a political newcomer over a decade ago, Carl Paladino supported him. Paladino, a local businessman, has been around politics for years — he once ran for governor and for Congress, and served on the Buffalo School Board. 'Paladino's made racist comments about Michelle Obama,' the ad says. Paladino has faced accusations of racism in the past, while serving on the Buffalo school board for comments he made in an Artvoice survey nearly a decade ago. 'The Paladino's are even bankrolling Scanlon's campaign,' the ad continues. Campaign contributions from the Paladino family to Scanlon came up during News 4's Mayoral Debate. 'Chris Scanlon has received tens of thousands of dollars from Carl Paladino and Carl Paladino has received tens of millions of dollars from the City of Buffalo. That ratio Chris, you're a cheap date on this one,' Ryan said. WIVB News 4 looked up New York State Campaign Finance records and found that since Chris Scanlon became acting mayor and then announced he was running for the office, nine campaign contributions can be linked to Carl's son William Paladino, or companies in the Paladino family ranging from $150 to $5,200. Donations from William Paladino, Paladino Development, Ellicott Construction, Joseph Hannon, the president of Ellicott Development, the 4628 Group, and an LLC called 727 Elmwood Avenue — totaling $19,100 in campaign contributions. 'William Paladino is the owner and CEO of Ellicott Development and a personal friend; William Paladino has donated to my campaign,' Scanlon said. 'As far as the assertion that Carl Paladino is funding my campaign and fueling my campaign, I have not received one dollar in this campaign from Carl Paladino.' We couldn't find any record of Carl Paladino directly giving campaign donations to Chris Scanlon. But Carl Paladino is still listed on Ellicott Development's website as the chairman of the board. 'It was me who was donating to the campaign, yes,' William Paladino said earlier this month. James Gardner endorsed by Republicans for Buffalo mayor We asked political strategist Carl Calabrese about Ryan's approach against Scanlon. 'Ryan on the other hand, it appears to me that his polling is telling him attack big money donors, attack Trump, attack MAGA Republicans and tie Chris Scanlon into those things. He's probably looking at how those messages play to the core Democrat voter, what's called the prime voter,' Calabrese said. What's not in Ryan's campaign ad is the $500 he received in 2014 from William Paladino when Ryan was in the state Assembly. We asked Senator Ryan about this. 'So, 10 years ago or so a donation slipped through my campaign, which I didn't find out about until a long time thereafter and we had a screen on the campaign for Ellicott Development and Carl Paladino, I never thought another Paladino would send a check in,' Ryan said. Ryan says that $500 check was then donated to a group in Albany. 'We took that donation of $500 and made a $1,000 contribution to the Alliance for Quality of Education, a group that supports high quality public education,' Ryan said. Senator Ryan says that policy not to take any money from Ellicott Development and Carl Paladino was then updated to include all Paladinos and their companies. We did reach out to Carl Paladino to get his reaction on being brought into the campaign as a talking point. Carl Paladino says he has no comment right now on the ad and asked that we contact him after the primary. Early voting in the Primary Election is already underway. The primary is just days away on June 24. Since Scanlon became acting mayor Date Name Amount To 1/10/2025 William Paladino $5,200 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 1/10/2025 Paladino Development Group Inc $5,000 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 12/6/2024 William Paladino $2,500 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 1/10/2025 Ellicott Construction Company II $2,500 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 1/10/2025 4628 Group, Inc $2,500 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 5/19/2025 727 Elmwood Ave LLC $500 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 4/8/2025 Joseph Hannon $500 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 1/7/2025 727 Elmwood Ave LLC $250 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon 1/7/2025 Joseph Hannon $150 Friends Of Christopher P Scanlon Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Construction for Jefferson Avenue Streetscape Project to start this summer
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo city leaders announced Friday that a major project to transform a historic part of Buffalo's East Side will be underway in the coming months. Acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon said a $32.5 million Jefferson Avenue Streetscape Project will begin this summer. The overall goal of the project is to enhance and improve an area deeply rooted in the history and culture of Buffalo's East Side. This project is set to be carried out in two phases. 'Phase 1 will be a $20 million investment that will stretch from Main Street to Best Street that will lead to new roadways, sidewalks, curbs, lighting, bicycle infrastructure, enhanced traffic signals, pedestrian amenities like benches and trash receptacles, and this construction is not something far off in the distance, this is something that will be under construction this summer,' Scanlon said. The second phase will follow in the fall as a $12.5 million investment covering Best Street to Swan Street, and plans for this will mirror those for Phase 1. Both phases of this project are a combination of federal, state and local funds through the Transportation Improvement Program. The city said it will continue to seek community input through this planning phase, and will continue as construction begins, with the goal completing the project by 2027. Angelica Gallagher is a Lancaster native who joined the News 4 team in 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Road closures to know this weekend as festival season kicks off
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A plethora of streets will be closed this weekend during the Allentown Art Festival and the Juneteenth parade as the festival season kicks off in the Queen City. Closures will begin on Friday at 4 p.m. and end on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The following streets will be closed for the Allentown Art Festival during that time: Delaware Avenue from Tupper to North Virginia Street from Delaware to Franklin Franklin Avenue from Virginia to Allen Allen Street from Franklin to Park and from Elmwood to Hudson The following streets will be closed for the Juneteenth parade from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.: Genesee Street from Bailey to Walden Best Street from Walden to Fillmore Fillmore Avenue from Genesee to French 'These festivals reflect the culture, diversity, and creativity that make our city so special,' said Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon. 'I urge everyone to come and enjoy these events–and to please follow all posted parking restrictions and police guidance to ensure a safe and smooth weekend for all.' Parking will not be permitted on the aforementioned streets during the closures. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chippewa to be closed to traffic weekend nights following reported stabbings
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo will be closed to traffic during late night, weekend hours until Labor Day after three people were stabbed in a large fight over the weekend, Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon said Thursday. The closures will take place from Delaware Avenue to Franklin Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The Vintage Room at 88 West Chippewa St. is temporarily closed after a large fight occurred over the weekend, according to B-District Police Chief Tommy Champion. The fight spilled out into the parking lot and across the street. Three people were reportedly stabbed in the fight and suffered non-life threatening injuries, Champion said. Scanlon said the Chippewa closures are intended to keep patrons, business owners, and police officers safe. 'By reducing vehicular traffic during those peak hours in this corridor, we're creating a pedestrian friendly environment that's safer, more walkable, and better suited for a night life activity and beneficial to all the restaurants and bars down here in this area,' he said. Scanlon is collaborating with Buffalo police and the Chippewa Alliance in this effort. It is unclear when the Vintage Room will be reopened. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Common Council asks for amendments to proposed budget
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Common Council is asking for six amendments to acting Mayor Chris Scanlon's 2025-26 proposed budget. Council members said the amendments focus on making affordability a priority while 'reining in' increasing overtime costs and maintaining public services. Scanlon announced his $622 million budget in April, which includes a hotel occupancy tax, selling city-owned parking ramps, a proposed property tax increase and more. His proposal has been met with critiques from local leaders about its ability to fill the $70 million budget hole. Scanlon announces $622M city budget, proposes 8% property tax increase One of the amendments asks for formal agreements to be made between the city and venues or organizers who use the city's police, fire and sanitation services for events. More specifically, the council is asking for reimbursements from the entities for 'city-related expenses' through a memorandum of understanding. A property tax circuit breaker program was also proposed, citing concerns of effects of the proposed tax increase on low-income homeowners. The council said it would provide 'targeted relief' to people whose tax liabilities are higher than a 'defined percentage' of their yearly income. The council wants representation on the Buffalo Parking Authority — which has received approval in the state's budget and would pave the way for city-owned parking ramps to be sold off to the authority — to 'promote transparency' to the public. Caps to departmental overtime, particularly in police and fire services, was listed as an amendment, along with switching to one annual bulk trash pickup model. Any reduction in trash services would be returned to residents through fee reductions. The council requested the restoration of funding for art programs that was cut in December 2024 and $403,000 in funding for cultural and anti-violence initiatives. The amendments follow concerns from local leaders since the announcement of the proposed budget. Buffalo Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams previously called the budget 'technically balanced,' but took issue with the city relying on nonrecurring revenue sources. New York State Senator Baskin, along with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Buffalo mayoral candidate and State Senator Sean Ryan, questioned the proposed sale of parking ramps and whether it will fill the budget gap. Poloncarz concerned by 'serious issues' in proposed Buffalo budget Scanlon has previously said that his proposals are not one-time revenue sources and that the Buffalo Parking Authority, would bring around $40 to $50 million in cash, as well as $2.5 million in revenue every year. 'It's not a gimmick, it's money that would come in — a large sum of money — that we could use over the course of several years while we fix the budget,' Scanlon told WIVB News 4 on Friday. 'If you look at the four-year plan, it's laid out, how we would do that, but also, it would provide a yearly revenue as well and again, alleviate the City of Buffalo of any maintenance and capital costs associated with those.' The council will vote on the budget amendments on Tuesday, May 27. Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
