New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says this is the most challenging budget in his third terms. So what does that mean for the city of Albany’s budget gap?
At the tail end of a Monday press conference at the capitol where Governor Andrew Cuomo outlined priorities he said must be included in the final enacted budget, the Democrat and his budget director Robert Mujica exchanged words as to the fate of Albany's $12.5 million payout and whether it might be made permanent.
Governor Cuomo: "Permanent? What word would you use?
Robert Mujica: We've put in $12 million and reduced it a little bit each year, right? So this year, as part of the overall conversation we've been putting it back so that they don't have to increase property taxes. But as far as making it permanent going forward, we haven't proposed it. Let's see what the legislature proposes. But we've been doing year-to-year depending on the state's finances.”
Governor Cuomo: “I am very loath to make permanent, additional commitments until we know what money we have."
"Rob Mujica lives in the city of Albany. I would like to know from him which firehouse he'd like to be closed. I'd like to know what beat cop he thinks we don't need, and whether or not he wants the streets plowed in a timely fashion so that his workforce can get into the office when we have snowstorms,” said frustrated fellow Democrat Mayor Sheehan, who insists Albany is treated differently than other cities, not getting its fair share, which creates a structural budget deficit. "I spoke with the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Association, Sheridan Hollow and Ten Broeck Neighborhood Associations last night, and I said to them, 'The reason that I fight for this $12.5 million is that this is about justice.' This is about when you look at the per capita unrestricted aide that is allocated in this state, and even if you just look at it by poverty levels of the cities that we're talking about, you know, the city of Albany is treated like no other. The per capita aid to Buffalo per person living in poverty is over $2,000. That's four times more than the aid for people living in poverty in the city of Albany."
Sheehan says without the funding, city programs and services would have to be cut. "We are asking for this aid to be made permanent. And even with this Capital City funding, which, we understand, fixing the AIM formula is a very difficult and so far has not been able to be addressed at all. We are asking for Capital City funding. The state owns more property in the city of Albany than our residents do. Than our taxpayers do. So we believe that we have made the case, that this makes sense, and that we should not continue to be treated like no other city. And even with the $12.5 million it still just gets us to about half of where cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are with respect to unrestricted aid."
The state budget is due April 1st.
