The community benefits agreement that lays out the Buffalo Bills’ commitment to giving back to Western New York has been praised by some as one of the most generous in the NFL and criticized by others as vague and weak.
The Buffalo Bills organization is required to contribute $3 million a year, for 30 years, to the community as part of a stadium deal in which the state and county will contribute $850 million toward the construction of an estimated $1.54 million stadium. But the community organizations that would benefit from the $3 million a year have yet to be determined, and there is nothing in the agreement that gives public stakeholders final authority or veto power over where the team’s money goes.
That raises questions of accountability in a public benefits agreement that was demanded by community advocates and elected leaders.
To answer questions, The Buffalo News reviewed the terms of the community benefits agreement and spoke with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin and Bills Executive Vice President Ron Raccuia, all three of whom played roles in shaping the final community benefits agreement.
Q: What is this money supposed to be spent on?
The community benefits agreement is one of several contracts that make up the overall stadium deal, which is waiting for approval from the Erie County Legislature.
Less than half of the benefits agreement deals with the annual $3 million commitment of charitable giving. But because the 30-year, $100 million total commitment is generalized and sweeping, it’s this pot of money that has attracted the most public concern.
The documents describe what the money will be spent on in broad terms, stating that it will go to community benefits “without limitation” that could include anti-violence, mental health, food access and higher education initiatives, as well as youth programming and recycling efforts. It also calls for the money to support efforts to…
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