BURA was created under New York State’s General Municipal Law Article 15-B §639. This statute directly states who should compose the board of BURA. It states that BURA shall be composed of the mayor of the city of Buffalo and eight other members including Buffalo’s president of the common council, chairman of the urban renewal committee of the common council, minority leader of the common council, corporation counsel, commissioner of urban renewal, commissioner of administration of finance and two residents of the city of Buffalo appointed by the mayor, whose terms of office expire with that of the mayor. Thus, BURA is largely controlled by the mayor.