BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As the winter weather approaches, there is still no emergency manager on the City of Buffalo payroll.

It was a position the Common Council and Mayor Byron Brown’s administration agreed on after more than 40 people died in the Blizzard of ’22 last December.

On Tuesday, Councilmember Rasheed Wyatt took a strong stance on the vacant position, saying he personally voted negative for any other position that goes before the City Service committee until an emergency manager is hired.

A city spokesperson told News 4 they’ve made progress in hiring that position. He said they have conducted a national search to find the right person with the right qualifications.

“We are unconcerned about the councilmembers’ comments,” a spokesperson for Mayor Brown said in a statement Tuesday. “The administration has conducted a national search to find the right person with the right qualifications. We continue to make progress regarding the position and hope to have an announcement in the near future.”  

In his monthly “Ask the Mayor” segment with News 4’s Jacquie Walker earlier this month, Brown said the city has conducted multiple interviews and has extended the search window for the position.

“[We] hope to fill those positions, but my position has always been, that even without those positions, it will not impact our ability to successfully and effectively deal with winter weather in Buffalo,” Brown said.