Hundreds of millions of dollars for upstate cities are included in the recently signed New York state budget, including $44 million for the city of Albany.
Albany-area politicians gathered at City Hall Friday morning to address what those funds mean for the city, particularly as it faces large budget deficits.
Albany's budget woes have been a major topic of conversation since Mayor Dorcey Applyrs announced earlier this year that the city faces a deficit of nearly $20 million for fiscal year 2025 and more than $20 million for fiscal year 2026.
The state funds come after Applyrs said earlier this year that the money in the budget would mitigate the impacts of the deficit. The city implemented cost-saving measures as it waited on the state budget, which was the latest since 2010. In the meantime, Albany enacted a hiring freeze for non-essential workers and made cuts to the budgets of each city department.
The Albany Common Council Finance Committee has expressed concern recently about city budget projections based on state budget funding levels rather than money in hand causing the city’s deficits in the past. Applyrs said Friday the state money helps the city close its funding gap, but she is going to make sure guardrails are in place to avoid the same financial challenges in the future.
“It does give us some breathing room in terms of some of the cuts that will need to be made, but that fiscal discipline is still required, and so we will continue executing on our reduction, our spending reduction plan, but we can do so in a way that really protects our core services and our core workforce and essential services,” Applyrs said Friday.
The mayor did not go into detail Friday about the guardrails she hopes to put in place, but she introduced a new city budget advisor, Bob Ward, a former deputy state comptroller.
Ward was deputy state comptroller from 2012 to 2021. He currently writes a Substack blog where he’s written about the city of Albany’s deficit. He also wrote a book in 2002 called “New York State Government,” which aims to explain to the public how the government in New York state works. On Friday, he said he has big hopes for Albany.
“Having been born in Albany, having grown up here — my wife and I make our home in the Pine Hills neighborhood — we see so many, so many signs of Albany moving in the right direction,” Ward said. “And I want to thank you for that, and it's a pleasure and a privilege to be part of your team.”
