BUFFALO, N.Y. — The judge assigned in a case between the city of Buffalo and the New York Coalition For Open Government is a former staff member of Mayor Byron Brown when he served in the New York State Senate.
Judge Craig Hannah served as a legal counsel for Brown between 2004 and 2005, when he served in the State Senate.
The City of Buffalo is being sued by the New York Coalition For Open Government over alleged open meetings violations during the Citizens Salary Review Commissions work in 2023.
Judge Hannah, or campaigns associated with him, have also donated $1,575 to Mayor Brown since 2000.
In 2006, Mayor Brown appointed Hannah to the city court, then appointed him chief judge in 2019.
In its Article 78 proceeding filed on December 20, NY Coalition For Open Government alleges that the city council "violated its meeting rules and the city charter by appointing commission members whom it did not have the legal authority to appoint."
The coalition also alleges that the "illegally formed commission violated the NYS Open Meetings Law at each of its three meetings they held by not providing sufficient notice to the public."
Paul Wolf from the New York Coalition For Open Government said in a statement that: "Judge Hannah's long association with Mayor Brown, and the campaign contributions that he has made, certainly raise questions as to whether he should be the one to decide this case. Whether he has a conflict, or an appearance of one, is something that Judge Hannah will have to think about and decide."
On May 1, the Buffalo Common Council approved the plan to increase salaries for the mayor, comptroller, council, and school board. The salary increases were:
- Board of Education: $16,985 (up from $15,000)
- Common Council members: $84,472 (up from $75,000)
- Comptroller: $134,593 (up from $119,500)
- Mayor: $178,519 (up from $158,000)
2 On Your Side reached out to the City of Buffalo and Judge Craig Hannah for comment, but have not yet heard back.
The next hearing for this case is Feb. 6.