Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced his staunch opposition to rumors that the governor and legislative leaders plan to eliminate the Medicaid Expenditure Cap for counties in the 2016-17 Enacted State Budget. New York already spends more in Medicaid than any other state, more than $54 billion, and is the only state in the nation that forces a majority of the expenses onto counties.

“I am outraged at the thought of the governor ending the expenditure cap for counties,” Hawley said. “Over one-third of our entire state budget is spent on Medicaid, and now the governor and his New York City cronies want upstate to pay even more because they can’t get their finances in order. That is absolutely outlandish. Our counties cannot afford any more expensive Albany mandates. Eliminating the cap would cause expenses to be passed down to homeowners in the form of higher property taxes. Downstate’s tax and spend mentality is out of control and I plan to fight tooth and nail against this injustice.”

Local leaders have also expressed concerned regarding the proposed elimination of the Medicaid Expenditure Cap for counties.

“New York State is the only state in the nation that forces this kind of expense onto localities,” said Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Nesbitt. “We sit here and relatively quietly eat the false narrative that evil local government is the cause of high property taxes in New York State and now we have to watch as the state prepares to open the flood gates again of unfunded mandates and let it fall right on the heads of local property taxpayers.”