New common council president Chris Scanlon doesn't believe relationship with Byron Brown is a 'negative'

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — New Buffalo Common Council President Chris Scanlon said he does not believe his relationship with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is a "negative," after he was criticized by Councilmember Rasheed Wyatt when he was voted into the role on Tuesday.

Wyatt was the only member of the council to vote against Scanlon becoming president, citing his relationship with Brown and saying that the council has "lost its independence."

"From this day, I believe the council has lost its independence," Wyatt said Tuesday. "And it's not because I dislike Councilmember Scanlon, he's a nice guy, but we know that over and over again he's voted with the mayor."

The mayor and the council routinely work as separate entities and have to negotiate back and forth on various issues throughout the city. However, Scanlon said Thursday that he doesn't believe that him working collaboratively with Brown in the past is a bad thing.

"I've heard that in the past, but I don't see how the ability to build relationships is a negative. I think that should be a positive in this type of work," Scanlon said. "I don't think that collaboration is the enemy of independence ... I think that working together, working on behalf of the city of Buffalo by working together and collaborating, you can actually get more done."

As he begins his tenure, Scanlon said he intends to focus on improving the quality of life for city residents. He said that one of his first orders of business would be sitting down with the rest of the council to determine the financial situation of the city, as well.

"If you pursue one of these positions, elected office or leadership within a legislative body, something like that, I think the first charge every morning has to be how are you going to improve the lives of the people who elected you to be there," he said.

Scanlon said that this is all to make the city the best it can be moving forward.

"At the end of the day we are one entity, the city of Buffalo," Scanlon said. "We have to be growing in the same direction to get things done for everyone.

You can watch the full interview with Scanlon and News 4's Jacquie Walker in the media player above.