ALBANY – Consolidation and sharing services among local governments and an increase in services and funding for public education were among the highlights of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2014 Executive Budget address, delivered to the state legislature Tuesday Afternoon in Albany.
During his address, the governor said that his plan is both a disciplined and innovative approach, and allows for tax cuts that will create jobs, grow the economy, and provide much-needed relief for struggling families.
The governor pointed to his plan to freeze property taxes for local governments, saying that if they can develop cost-saving measures in the next two years and implement them over the following three years, the state would step in and help provide relief for property tax payers. He said a key element of reducing costs is sharing services, saying its time local governments work together to serve their constituents.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo
“We say to the county executives, to the local government officials, ‘Sit down. Come up with a plan. Figure out shared services. Figure out consolidations. Figure out where you can find savings,'” The governor said. “It can’t be that everyone has to do everything in every government. It can’t be. It can be easier, it can be more politically advantageous. But it can’t be that there are not economies of scale in that size universe of abutting jurisdictions. Find a way to save one percent of the [tax] levy per year, for three years.”
The governor’s Budget also makes sizable new investments in education and health care, including $1.5 billion for a fully funded Universal Full-Day Pre-K program and $720 million for an after school program over five years. As a result, under the governor’s spending plan, Cuomo said New York would become only the fourth state in the union to fully implement full-day universal pre-k program for all children in the state.
“All the educators will tell you this is the single most advantageous reform that a state can make. That the younger you get children into school, the more open and accessible their brain, the more they can take in earlier,” the governor said. “Incrediably, New York will become just the fourth state in the nation that will offer statewide universal full-day Pre K.”
Some of the other highlights of the budget include:
- Holds spending increases below 2 percent for the fourth consecutive year.
- Reduces taxes by more than $2 billion by 2016-17, using surpluses to be generated by the Governor’s commitment to holding spending at 2 percent.
- Increases education aid by $807 million, almost 4 percent, driving an average increase of nearly $300 per student.
- Authorizes $720 million over a five year period to expand after school programs.
- Proposes a $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act to ensure that all of our children have access to the latest technology needed to compete on the global stage.
- Provides $1.2 billion in capital funding to help hospitals, nursing homes and long term care facilities restructure to provide quality community based care.
The total total spending plan is $137.2 billion dollars. It will no go to lawmakers in both the assembly and senate for their consideration. The deadline for the budget to be in place is April 1, 2014.
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