Deputy Commissioner Delano Dowell said the city has spent millions of dollars on weight loss pills this year.
Buffalo, N.Y. — As city councillors prepare to discuss Mayor Chris Scanlon’s 2025-2026 budget, cutting healthcare costs rises during negotiations will become a priority.
The city has spent millions of dollars on weight loss drugs this year, according to Delano Dowell, deputy secretary of Mayor Byron Brown’s Treasury during a period when the fiscal deficit surged to $73 million.
Related: Scanlon proposes a $622 million budget.
At a Finance Committee meeting Tuesday morning, Dowell confirmed with the Common Council that he had previously equipped with an unexpected cost of $2.1 million in fiscal year 2024-2025. All of this is for prescription weight loss medication and Wegovy.
“It costs about 97% of the city to contribute, so it costs a lot of employees,” Dowell said. “It just runs every year and the city is taking that costly dull.”
According to Dowell, the city’s healthcare costs are $3.6 million higher than in February 2024, totaling $6.7 million so far this fiscal year.
Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon told you on Route 2 after the event on Sunday, saying the city expects medical expenses to start next year, with $15 million to $20 million.
“It’s a huge hurdle to overcome when it comes to our revenues, but when we prepare our budget, that’s what we did,” Scanlon said.
Scanlon’s budget proposal for 2025-2026 saw a $13 million increase in line items for the “Fringe Benefits” (6.9%). According to a city spokesperson, the line items include medical expenses for prescription drugs.
“It’s mandatory for us to see everything we spend on, but we can save money on the cost side,” Scanlon said.
The proxy mayor has not ruled out changes to city employees, particularly the prescription drug regimen for popular weight loss medications.
“That’s what we talked about at City Hall that cuts that spending,” Scanlon said. “But that’s not the only thing. It’s about how we have to keep things under control, whether it’s our healthcare expenses or our other expenses, and I think we’ve done a great job with this year’s budget.”
Scanlon’s proposed budget exceeded $622 million for 2025-2026, an increase of less than 1% from this year.
The proxy mayor hopes to close the budget gap of over $50 million by selling city-owned parking ramps, establishing a 3% bed tax and establishing parking institutions to raise property taxes by 8%.
