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Local government directory
Buffalo, NY: council, meetings and contacts
Buffalo is the 83rd largest city in the United States with about 274,613 residents, in Erie County. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.
City government at a glance
- Form of government
- Mayor-council
- Governing body
- Common Council — 9 members
- Regular meetings
- Published on the official city website
- City Hall
- 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
- Main information line
- 311 (716-851-4890)
- Population (2025 est.)
- 274,613 (2020 census: 278,349)
- County
- Erie County
- Planning body
- Buffalo City Planning Board
Nine Common Council members are elected from districts to four-year terms and meet in the Art Deco Buffalo City Hall.
Official links
The bodies that decide things in Buffalo
| Body | What it decides | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Common Council | Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding | Official page |
| Erie County Legislature | County budget, sheriff and jail, public health, elections administration, county roads | County website |
| Buffalo Public Schools board | School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent | District website |
| Buffalo City Planning Board | Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations | City website |
Questions people ask about Buffalo government
How do I contact Buffalo city government?
The main information line is 311 (716-851-4890). City Hall is at 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202, and the official website is https://www.buffalony.gov.
How do I speak at a Buffalo public meeting?
Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.
No debates for Buffalo yet. If something is on the council agenda — a rezoning, a fee increase, a transit change — open the first debate and invite both sides.
Start here if you are new to this
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