WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — As Highmark Stadium continues construction, the committee tasked with watching over the Buffalo Bills’ community investment received their first insight into how the team supports Western New York off the field.
According to their 2023 Community Benefits Report, the Bills spent $3.6 million on everything from health and wellness initiatives to vendor diversity last year.
The 18-page report is a requirement under the team's new stadium agreement and was delivered to the Community Benefits Oversight Committee on Monday, whose members will read and discuss it with Bills' representatives and the public.
“This is new for the organization, it's new for our oversight committee, having something in our hand and seeing that they are sharing and doing the things that they said they are doing in investing in the community," said Committee Chairman Reverend Mark Blue.
The report does not detail specific community spending to the dollar and left some committee members questioning the exact impact of the investment.
The expenditures are categorized under community and civic programs, economic development, and youth and education rather than budgeted line by line.
“I think we need to dive more into the numbers to understand more about what the outcome is, what's the story that is being told. I think there's a lot more we need to just have some time to digest,” said committee member Mo Sumbundu.
The 'You Are Not Alone Campaign' supporting mental health and the 'Bills HeartBEAT' program partnering with the American Heart Association are two examples of the dozens of initiatives the team said it took part in last year.
“The Community Benefits Agreement really highlights key objectives that we want to both hit but also naturally align with who we are as an organization,” said Buffalo Bills Vice President of Stadium Relations Penny Semaia.
While the report notes investment beyond the Buffalo Bills' contractually obligated mark of $3 million annually, it remains unclear if the team invested more because of the agreement or maintained the status quo.
Committee Chairman Rev. Mark Blue noted however that the Bills have set the bar high.
“How do the Bills decide who they support and in what areas? I think that's an important discussion for all of us to have,” said Rhonda Fredrick, a committee member.
The committee members got their first taste of the report at Monday's meeting but over the coming weeks, the plan is to formulate more questions and opinions and present those to Buffalo Bills at the next oversight meeting in September.
The Community Benefits Agreement stipulates that the team invest $3 million over 30 years increasing up to 2.2% each year. If the Bills fulfill the terms of the contract they will have invested anywhere between $120 to $140 million according to Semaia.
“We highlighted, one, it was year one; two, that our commitment of $3.6 million; but three, also making sure that we are receiving some great feedback from both the board and the community in the near future,” Semaia added.
Gauging public input is also a part of the committee's responsibilities. Chairman Blue explained while a date for a public hearing has not been set, the committee is aiming to host one in October.
“We’re going to go do a deep dive and then bring back our list of questions, concerns, recommendations, and then we’ll go forward from there,” said Rev. Blue.
The team posts regular updates regarding stadium construction and the Community Benefits Oversight Committee on their website for those looking to get up to date.