How Buffalo is run
Who runs Buffalo, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Buffalo's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Buffalo
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Buffalo city staff
133 full-time-equivalent positions, including Culture and recreation 23, Police officers 23, General government 21, Electric utility 19, Municipal liquor 11. FY2025. Full-time equivalent employees in 2025, from the audited report's statistical section. Includes the electric, water, sewer and liquor operations. City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
The city posts the base pay of its three highest-paid employees each year. We found no full employee pay list. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Buffalo in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The preliminary 2027 levy of $13,828,695 is 7.5% higher than 2026. Staff's 10-year financial management plan projects a potentially significant levy increase in 2028 for a possible $7 million civic center bond, a police facility bond and possible fiber balloon payments, assuming no local option sales tax. City of Buffalo · Sep 8, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $5.5M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Keep a minimum unassigned general fund balance of 50 percent of the next year's budgeted spending, with a minimum of six months, for cash flow. The city says it is working to bring the unassigned balance up to that target. City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026.
Comes from
- Property taxes$8.1M · 55%
- State and federal aid$2.3M · 16%
- Charges for services$2.2M · 15%
- Transfers in from city utilities and liquor stores$1.3M · 9%
- Licenses and permits$576,450 · 4%
- Miscellaneous$236,500 · 2%
- Other (equipment sales, fines, special assessments)$145,500 · 1%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$4.2M · 29%
- Streets$2.2M · 15%
- Parks$1.9M · 13%
- Sanitation (trash and recycling)$1.2M · 8%
- Administration$1.1M · 8%
- Capital outlay$797,000 · 5%
- Community center$703,974 · 5%
- Fire protection (general fund share)$670,000 · 5%
- Other (planning, clerk, inspections, engineering, debt, council)$1.9M · 13%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates are per $100 of tax capacity, as reported by Wright County in the city's audited report. The school referendum rate applies to market value. Special district rates apply only to property inside those districts.
44¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Buffalo
- City of Buffalo (operating)38.251 · 32%
- City of Buffalo (debt service)13.714 · 12%
- Wright County35.563 · 30%
- School district (operating)21.584 · 18%
- School district (voter-approved market value referendum)0.169 · <1%
- Special districts8.711 · 7%
- Total (% of tax capacity)117.992
Taxes payable 2025 rates for property in the city of Buffalo (Wright County). City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
See what a Buffalo house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Buffalo is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- FireThe cityBuffalo Fire Department (volunteer)City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- ElectricityThe cityCity electric utilityA municipal utilities commission created in 2026 oversees electric, water and sewer.City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity water utilityCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity water reclamation (sanitary sewer) utilityCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity storm sewer utilityCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- Streets and snowplowingThe cityCity public worksCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreationCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorContracted hauler, under a city contractCity of Buffalo · Sep 8, 2026
- Liquor storesThe cityCity-owned off-sale liquor storesThe city runs two stores.City of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
- AirportThe cityCity municipal airportCity of Buffalo · May 8, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | HibbingMN | Red WingMN | BuffaloMN | HugoMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,823 | 16,805 | 16,878 | 17,167 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $182,125 | $170,726 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $7,200 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $6,500 |
| General fund per resident | $1,507 | $1,755 | $875 | $633 |
| Debt per resident | $579 | $925 | $4,838 | $846 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $427 | $555 | $251 | $62 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 11.8 | 7.9 | 1.9 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Hugo pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Buffalo publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe Levy and Budget page posts the 2026 city-wide budgets, levy detail, capital plan and Truth-in-Taxation report. City of Buffalo · Oct 10, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no City Administrator contract online. The city's salary notice states the base pay. City of Buffalo · Oct 10, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable ordinance, resolution or budget page that states council or mayor pay. City of Buffalo · Oct 10, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts base salaries of its three highest-paid positions. We found no full employee pay list. City of Buffalo · Jan 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $5,523,772 at the end of 2025, below the city's own target of 50% of next year's budget. When does the council expect to reach the target?
- General fund spending exceeded revenue by $451,375 in 2025. Which 2026 changes close that gap?
- The city owed $81,649,540 at the end of 2025, and staff project a possible significant levy increase in 2028 for a civic center bond, a police facility bond and fiber payments. Which of these will the council decide first?
- The preliminary 2027 levy is $13,828,695, up 7.5%. What would the council change to lower it before the December 7, 2026 hearing?
Help decide what comes next
What do you want to know about Buffalo next?
One tap, no sign-in. We count answers; we never show who chose what.
Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
See something wrong? Report an error
Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.