Setting the Record Straight: Da Vinci Project Was Never Stopped by the 2025 Bond Sale

by Barbara Miller Williams, City of Buffalo Comptroller

Barbara Mille Williams

The recent reporting by The Buffalo News on the Buffalo Public Schools’ decision to abandon plans to relocate Leonardo da Vinci High School to Buffalo State University Campus deserves important clarification from the Office of the Comptroller. While the Former Superintendent suggests that rising project costs were the primary reason for scrapping the proposal, our record reflects a different perspective. The issue that has always been before our department was never whether Da Vinci High School was a worthy investment or whether students deserved an exceptional learning environment. From my research, the central issue remains to date that Buckham Hall, located on the grounds of Buffalo State University, is NOT owned by the City of Buffalo. Under New York State Local Finance Law and sound fiscal practice, City bond financing cannot be used to fund permanent improvements to properties that the City does not officially own. That legal and financial reality was the basis for my position from the beginning and was shared by all interested parties on numerous occasions.

In addition, I consistently requested that Buffalo Public Schools prioritize Shovel Ready Projects involving existing City Owned Facilities that would benefit students while complying with bonding requirements. When the Buffalo Public School District finally submitted a Revised Priority List focused on urgent repairs to City Owned school buildings, I authorized the Bond Sale in the amount of $21,950,000. Those projects moved forward because they met the legal requirements for Municipal Bonding and were reimbursable by New York State. Suggesting that the 2025 Bond Sale or my Office’s actions caused the Da Vinci High School Relocation project to be delayed, overlooks the fundamental issue that existed long before costs escalated. The proposed project involved a building the city did not own or have an existing negotiated and executed lease agreement. To date, the required documentation has not been made available for consideration or review by the Department of Audit and Control.

Let me be very clear and note that there is no disagreement that Leonardo Da Vinci High School students deserve an exceptional learning environment and every opportunity to succeed. My responsibility as Comptroller is to ensure that all City of Buffalo investments are made in a way that complies with the Law, protects taxpayer dollars and preserves the City’s long term financial integrity. Accountability begins with Transparency. The facts matter and the public deserves an accurate understanding of why this Bond request ultimately did not move forward. It is also important to note that the Former Mayoral Administration and Members of the Buffalo Common Council approved the inclusion of the Da Vinci High School Relocation project in the 2025 Capital Plan even though Buckham Hall was not a city owned building. This compelled the Former Mayor and a Common Counsel Member to take legal action that resulted in a Lawsuit, which is currently in litigation and awaiting decision by the New York State Appellate Division.

Given the City’s long-standing bonding requirements and New York State’s legal framework, it must be noted that only properties owned by the City of Buffalo are eligible for improvements. It was unfortunate that students, families, and the general public were led to believe the project could proceed through traditional City bonding by forces outside of the Comptroller’s Office. The proposal made by the Administration, the Buffalo Common Council, the Buffalo Public Schools and the Board of Education, with support from several New York State Representatives, excluded long established legal and fiscal requirements for Capital Improvement Projects. The students and faculty of Leonardo Da Vinci High School deserve better planning, the Taxpayers of Buffalo deserve greater transparency, and the public deserves accountability. As Comptroller, I will continue to abide by the Law and protect the City’s financial integrity. Good Government is built on Accountability, not misinformation.