That the City of Buffalo publish a "cost of good repair" figure every year: what it would cost to bring the roads, water mains, and buildings it already owns back to good condition.
The city already records the wear, about $958 million of its infrastructure is logged as used up in the 2025 audit, but it never totals the repair bill. You can't prioritize, budget for, or fix what you don't measure, and measuring it costs almost nothing. It takes one Council member to request it.
This isn't about cutting Buffalo down to size. It's about being able to afford the things that make it worth living in, good parks, open libraries, clean water, reliable services, and keep affording them.
Three steps, about five minutes
Find your Council member
Buffalo has nine Common Council districts. Look up yours with the city's Who Is My Council Member tool, then grab their email from the Common Council Members page.
Make the letter yours
Edit the draft below, add your name and neighborhood, and change anything that doesn't sound like you. A short note in your own words always lands harder than a form letter.
Send it
Use Copy or Open in email below, paste in your Council member's address, and send. Then forward it to a neighbor.
Your letter
Built from Buffalo's own audited reports. Edit freely.
The email button opens your mail app with the letter filled in; add your Council member as the recipient before sending.
Stay in it
This works when it's not just one voice.
Strong Towns Buffalo is a volunteer group of neighbors making this case across the city. Join them, bring a friend, and share these numbers.