With the 2021 legislative session well underway, my Assembly colleagues and I are hard at work crafting the 2021-22 state budget. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented historic challenges for our communities, which is why it’s more important than ever for Central New Yorkers to make their voices heard during state budget deliberations. Hearing directly from you helps me better represent the priorities of our communities in Albany. I’m inviting local residents to submit their questions and connect virtually to discuss the budget and New York’s future.

As your assemblyman, one of my top priorities has been to have honest conversations with you about what you’d like to see our state government do. To help facilitate this open dialogue in these difficult times, I’m holding my annual budget presentation and town hall event via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 25. Video conferences have become the norm in many workplaces, including the state Assembly, to overcome the challenges of working remotely. Community members should submit questions and an RSVP to StirpeA@nyassembly.gov. A link for the meeting will be provided by email.

While New York is waiting to see how much federal aid our communities will receive, the reality is we’re currently facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit due to COVID-19. The governor has proposed plans to close this gap by cutting up to $2 billion in school funding, $600 million in Medicaid funding and $900 million in various other programs. Now is not the time to slash funding for these critical services, which are already under financial strain. I’m committed to working collaboratively on solutions to boost New York’s economy and avoid budget cuts that would be devastating for our communities.

Developing real solutions to uplift all New Yorkers is at the core of a recently created Assembly working group focused on the state’s economic recovery. I’m excited to have been named a co-chair of this group, which is tasked with crafting a comprehensive approach to helping workers and businesses recover from this pandemic. It might seem difficult to envision now, but I know that we can build a brighter future by working together to address a range of issues.

As chair of the Assembly Small Business Committee, I’ve heard directly from small-business owners about how COVID-19 has impacted them. I’ve also been working to address the many issues that this public health crisis has dealt them. Ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to safely reopen and continue operating must be central to the state’s economic recovery plan. These local businesses, many of which are family-owned, make up 98% of the state businesses and employ more than half of the state’s workforce. Employees also face numerous struggles that must be addressed, and we have to help remove barriers preventing others from going back to work.

I hope you’ll join me for my virtual budget town hall so I can hear directly from you about your concerns and issues. While the event will be held live, submitting your questions and comments before it kicks off will help me address as many issues as possible on the Feb. 25. You may do this at nyassembly.gov/Stirpe.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to my office at 315-452-1115 or StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.