Local reps address concerns at state budget presentation
NORWICH – With just over six weeks before the start of a new fiscal calendar in New York State, NYS Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito was in Norwich on Thursday to present Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget and hear concerns from local stakeholders of how the proposed financial plan may have an impact here at home.
Destito’s presentation, held at the Northeast Classic Car Museum, touted the governor’s $141.6 billion budget that, if passed in March, would limit state spending to 2 percent, cut small business taxes from 6.5 percent to 2.5 percent, and provide more than $1 billion in state aid to schools contingent on their adherence to stricter performance policies. The plan also calls for increased spending for early childhood education, with $1.5 billion for full-day pre-K programs for four-year-olds and $25 million for high-needs three-year olds.
Destito cited a decrease in unemployment in the state that dropped from 8.9 percent in 2010 to 5.8 percent in 2015. She additionally pointed to current state taxes and spending that have been cut to the lowest rate in 50 years, and property taxes that have been capped at 2 percent, then frozen.
“New York State is back and leading the way forward,” Destito said. “There is activity all over the state ... New York is now a state of opportunity.”
Still, Destito’s presentation sparked some questions and concerns on issues including raises in minimum wage, changes in Medicaid transportation reimbursement that are having an adverse impact on public transportation in rural counties, and the state’s longterm agenda for economic growth in upstate.
“I’m concerned about labor anticipation rates, the types of jobs that are out there, and job creation,” said Chenango County Planning and Economic Development Consultant Steve Palmatier. “All of those have fallen in upstate New York or private sector job creation has not kept up, even with our number of graduating high school students.”
Destito responded that Cuomo’s opportunities agenda does propose education reform that will prepare students for jobs that are currently in demand.
“I’m told by the labor department that there’s almost 400,000 jobs in the state that go unfilled that people are not capable of taking, so the fact is that we do need to have better graduates,” said Destito. “We want to make sure that students are better prepared for the jobs that are available, and I think we do need to do more to prepare students for the jobs that are here in the 21st century.”
Destito’s presentation also touched on a number of other ambitious goals for 2015, including a $500 million investment in broadband internet access for rural areas that would leverage a $500 million investment from private businesses to build broadband infrastructure. That proposal gained favor from both ends of the political spectrum after Gov. Cuomo first pitched it during his State of the State address in January.
Destito’s presentation further mentioned a tax credit proposal that would be eligible to nearly 1.3 million homeowners throughout the state; and in the Southern Tier, investments of $20 million for clean energy competition, and $30 million for farmland preservation and development (part of a $50 million investment in farmland preservation and development statewide).
In response, Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano said, “I think the Governor is heading in the right direction, but some other things need to be done that benefit areas like ours.”
Maiurano said while the city maintains open lines of communication with state officials, the community would benefit from more visits by state representatives who work with local stakeholders to address particular needs.
“It’s hard for the state to address every community’s individual needs,” Maiurano added. “Many of the individual needs we have in our community can be handled at a local level, but many people are looking to the state to help. What I think we need is to have more talks locally where all governments can discuss what we can do to help ourselves move forward.”
New York State’s fiscal year expires on March 31.
Destito’s presentation, held at the Northeast Classic Car Museum, touted the governor’s $141.6 billion budget that, if passed in March, would limit state spending to 2 percent, cut small business taxes from 6.5 percent to 2.5 percent, and provide more than $1 billion in state aid to schools contingent on their adherence to stricter performance policies. The plan also calls for increased spending for early childhood education, with $1.5 billion for full-day pre-K programs for four-year-olds and $25 million for high-needs three-year olds.
Destito cited a decrease in unemployment in the state that dropped from 8.9 percent in 2010 to 5.8 percent in 2015. She additionally pointed to current state taxes and spending that have been cut to the lowest rate in 50 years, and property taxes that have been capped at 2 percent, then frozen.
“New York State is back and leading the way forward,” Destito said. “There is activity all over the state ... New York is now a state of opportunity.”
Still, Destito’s presentation sparked some questions and concerns on issues including raises in minimum wage, changes in Medicaid transportation reimbursement that are having an adverse impact on public transportation in rural counties, and the state’s longterm agenda for economic growth in upstate.
“I’m concerned about labor anticipation rates, the types of jobs that are out there, and job creation,” said Chenango County Planning and Economic Development Consultant Steve Palmatier. “All of those have fallen in upstate New York or private sector job creation has not kept up, even with our number of graduating high school students.”
Destito responded that Cuomo’s opportunities agenda does propose education reform that will prepare students for jobs that are currently in demand.
“I’m told by the labor department that there’s almost 400,000 jobs in the state that go unfilled that people are not capable of taking, so the fact is that we do need to have better graduates,” said Destito. “We want to make sure that students are better prepared for the jobs that are available, and I think we do need to do more to prepare students for the jobs that are here in the 21st century.”
Destito’s presentation also touched on a number of other ambitious goals for 2015, including a $500 million investment in broadband internet access for rural areas that would leverage a $500 million investment from private businesses to build broadband infrastructure. That proposal gained favor from both ends of the political spectrum after Gov. Cuomo first pitched it during his State of the State address in January.
Destito’s presentation further mentioned a tax credit proposal that would be eligible to nearly 1.3 million homeowners throughout the state; and in the Southern Tier, investments of $20 million for clean energy competition, and $30 million for farmland preservation and development (part of a $50 million investment in farmland preservation and development statewide).
In response, Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano said, “I think the Governor is heading in the right direction, but some other things need to be done that benefit areas like ours.”
Maiurano said while the city maintains open lines of communication with state officials, the community would benefit from more visits by state representatives who work with local stakeholders to address particular needs.
“It’s hard for the state to address every community’s individual needs,” Maiurano added. “Many of the individual needs we have in our community can be handled at a local level, but many people are looking to the state to help. What I think we need is to have more talks locally where all governments can discuss what we can do to help ourselves move forward.”
New York State’s fiscal year expires on March 31.
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