ALBANY – Local leaders from across New York State traveled to Albany last week for a meeting of the New York Conference of Mayors and to directly share their concerns with state legislators on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed New York State budget.
The governor unveiled his Executive budget proposal in late January and the Legislature’s fiscal committees have been conducting public hearings on the $178-billion plan over the past several weeks.
State Senator George Borrello and Senator Tom O’Mara met several local officials from their respective legislative districts.
In a joint statement, O’Mara and Borrello shared their concerns about the Governor proposed budget over the potential cost shifts in Medicaid, new unfunded state mandates, and funding cuts in numerous areas, including local roads and bridges.
“We agree that the Cuomo budget plan, as it stands, risks putting a heavier burden on local governments and local property taxpayers, who are already at the breaking point in fundamental ways,” the Senators said. “Consequently, we appreciate many of the local officials we represent raising their voices and we will continue to work closely with them to protect our local communities and property taxpayers from unreasonable and unfair state efforts to pass the buck on fiscal responsibility.”
The two stressed that they would keep working with their legislative colleagues across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions to keep attention focused on unfunded state mandates, a stronger commitment to Aid and Incentives for Municipalities to support local municipalities and property taxpayers, job-killing state regulations, out-of-control debt, public safety, and a state tax burden that hurts family budgets and keeps New York’s business climate one of the worst in the nation.
Local officials attending the conference from Senator Borrello’s 57th Senate District were: Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, Olean Mayor William J. Aiello, and Jamestown Mayor Edward Sundquist. Officials from Senator O’Mara’s 58th Senate District were: Corning Mayor Bill Boland, Corning City Manager Mark Ryckman and Corning City Councilmember Alison Hunt.
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