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Governor tells local officials to tough it out on cost pressures
Posted at: 10/22/2012 4:16 PM
| Updated at: 10/22/2012 5:53 PM
By: Bill Lambdin
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ALBANY - Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino spent most of her speech last week complaining about programs the state requires but does not pay for.
"Like a vice, the Property Tax Cap very shortly will have the effect of squeezing out local programs while the state mandated programs continue to grow unchecked," Jimino said.
So did Albany County Executive Dan McCoy in justifying a proposed 8.9 per cent property tax increase.
"We have 43 unfunded mandated programs we're required to run by the Senate and Assembly that don't give us the money to run it," McCoy said. "How do you expect us to live within a 2% cap?"
Governor Cuomo says "you have to balance the budget without saying I want more money from above or less responsibility from above. That is being a government official today. Very hard to do I know but we did it."
County, town and other local officials statewide have been complaining about unfunded state mandates during this budget season.
But Governor Cuomo points out no higher government stepped in and gave the state ten billion dollars, which was the size of the deficit he inherited when he took over.
"The numbers have to balance," the Governor told reporters Monday. "You can only spend that which you take in. That's life. By the way, that's everybody's kitchen table."
The Governor suggested hard-pressed municipalities look into consolidation as a way to reduce cost pressures.
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