Buffalo Common Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the Buffalo, New York City Government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of 9 districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicot, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common Council also had a nominal number of at-large members who were elected citywide. The members of the Common Council are often referred to as Councilmen or City Councilmen even though they are probably correctly called Common Councilmen. The council has a President, President Pro Tempore, and a Majority Leader. The size of the council's membership has been shrinking roughly in tandem with the "white flight" to the suburbs represented by the population declines (as noted on the Buffalo, New Yok page). Previously, the council was composed of 12 district representatives and three citywide at-large members. The common council President was one of the at-large councilmembers when such members existed. In 2002, the council had been composed of 9 district representatives and four at-large members. The four at-large seats were eliminated during the redistricting that occurs with each census. The current members are:
- David A. Franczyk - Common Council President, Fillmore District
- Dominic J. Bonifacio Jr. - Majority Leader, Niagara District
- Michael LoCurto - Delaware District
- Brian Davis - Ellicott District
- Richard A. Fontana - Lovejoy District
- Demone A. Smith - Masten District
- Joseph Golombek Jr.- North District
- Bonnie E. Russell - President Pro Tempore, University District
- Michael Kearns - South District
All seats are up for reelection in 2007. Demone Smith was appointed to serve the remaining one year of the term of Antoine Thompson, who was elected to the New York State Senate. LoCurto was appointed this year to fill a vacancy and ran against Marc Brown for the remaining one year of Marc Coppola's term in the 2006 elections. He retainted his seat.
