Buffalo Common Council should repeal its July 2018 amendment to Chapter 175 of the Code of the City of Buffalo that added 13 new fees under the Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency. Each year, thousands of Buffalo residents risk losing their driver’s licenses, their jobs, their homes, and even their freedom because they cannot afford to pay traffic fines and associated fees. Data shows that residents of color are disproportionately stopped and ticketed, creating a cycle of debt and punishment in their communities.

Even more concerning,the City’s proposed 2020-21 budget fails Buffalo’s most vulnerable black residents and residents of low income. The Proposed Budget plans to bring in more than $3 million from traffic tickets.  While budgeting $3.1 million in net revenue from traffic tickets is, on its face, race-neutral, we encourage you to look closely at whether that budget number is discriminatory in application. For example, if the Buffalo Police Department is focusing more patrols in poor black neighborhoods, it follows that it would also be issuing more traffic tickets in those neighborhoods. 

Please help us end this egregious method of raising revenue for the city of Buffalo!