Assembly Budget Proposes $45 Million to Support New York’s Direct Care Workers

This year the Assembly budget proposal included $45 million to support the first year of a six-year plan to create a living wage for direct care workers. This includes the non-profit agencies that provide the supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Statewide, ten percent of these positions are currently vacant and the turnover rate is now above 20 percent.

“Our direct care workforce is facing a staff shortage that has now become a crisis. I have repeatedly called for the necessary funding in this year’s state budget. I’m pleased to see the Assembly take action on such an important issue and again call on Governor Cuomo to also make it a priority,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “The direct support workers and the more than 100,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities deserve no less.”

“On behalf of the more than 400 Direct Support Professionals at Schenectady ARC, we thank Assemblyman Santabarbara and the State Assembly for including $45 million in their one-house budget bill to support better wages for our DSPs,” said Schenectady ARC Executive Director, Kirk Lewis. “This funding would be the first year of a multi-year plan that will allow providers to pay these critical workers the living wage that they so clearly deserve. The inclusion of this funding in the one-house bill gives our workers hope that their plight has been recognized, and it gives thousands of people with developmental disabilities and their families hope that there will be a solution to the rapidly growing problem of high staff vacancies and unmanageable staff turn-over rates.”

“Each and every day, the lives, safety, development and growth of our loved ones with developmental disabilities rest squarely in the hands of our Direct Support Professionals,” said Wildwood Programs Executive Director, MaryAnn Allen. “I cannot think of a job that involves more responsibility or that requires higher independent judgment and critical thinking skills. For many years, these caring professionals have not been paid anything close to a livable wage, let alone one that respects all that we ask of them. As a result, our field is now faced with a profound workforce crisis, with large numbers of chronically vacant DSP positions and huge staff turnover rates. Potential employees can no longer accept these positions because they cannot sustain themselves or their families. New York's citizens with disabilities deserve far better and we are profoundly grateful for the support of Assemblyman Santabarbara and both houses of the NYS Legislature in taking clear and immediate steps to right this wrong.”

Assembly Budget Proposes $2 Billion to Invest in Aging Infrastructure

The Assembly budget proposal also includes funding to invest in aging infrastructure through the $2 billion Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.

“It is important we do more to invest in and repair our infrastructure,” Santabarbara said. “As a civil engineer, I know that when our local governments are forced to be reactive rather than proactive, we all lose. We saw it with the sewage break in Amsterdam and with the high levels of lead found in schools’ drinking water throughout the state. Last year, it was important to secure funding for the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and pass legislation making sure the water our kids drink at school is tested and safe. But now it’s time to get ahead of the problems – to look out for our roads, bridges and water mains and prevent these problems from happening in the first place.”

Santabarbara played a key role in crafting the Assembly’s infrastructure proposal. This year $10 million will be dedicated for the Municipal Clean Drinking Water and Emergency Fund, an initiative Santabarbara has been advocating for following emergency repairs needed to the sewer system in the City of Amsterdam last year. Earlier this year, Assemblyman Santabarbara was joined by Schenectady Mayor McCarthy and Amsterdam Mayor Villa to call for the dedicated funding specifically for emergency infrastructure repairs that could be more immediately available to municipalities under emergency circumstances.

“While the State has included funding for water and sewer infrastructure in this year’s budget, I'm pleased to also see my proposal that makes more immediate funding available to address the unexpected emergency situations like we have seen in the City of Amsterdam,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara.

“Infrastructure failures like we saw last summer force us to draw funds unexpectedly from other critical areas of our budget to make repairs, putting considerable financial strain on our City,” said City of Amsterdam Mayor Michael Villa. “We are grateful to see this funding in the Assembly’s budget proposal as it will help alleviate that pressure in emergency situations.”

“Across the state, cities are facing the challenge of aging infrastructure,” said City of Schenectady Mayor Gary R. McCarthy. “Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara’s funding proposal provides critically needed financial support from the State to help cities when they confront infrastructure emergencies.”

Assembly Budget Proposal Boosts Funding for Local Schools, Increases Foundation Aid

Assemblyman Santabarbara has been at the forefront of pushing for more state aid for local schools, passing state budgets with record investments in public education and helping end the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) last year.

This year, Assembly budget proposal also provides an increase of $1.8 billion over the 2016-17 School Year, for a total of $26.5B. This is an increase of $887M over the Governor's proposal. The proposal increases Foundation Aid by $1.4 billion for the 2017-18 school year, bringing the total amount to $17.8 billion. This is nearly $1 billion more than was allocated in the executive budget and includes a $150 million Fiscal Stabilization Fund for Foundation Aid.

Assemblyman Santabarbara has also continuously called for the State's Foundation Aid formula to be fully funded. The Assembly’s proposal has rejected the governor’s repeal of the Foundation Aid formula and seeks to phase-in full funding of aid over four years.

"It’s critical that we remain committed to strengthening our public education system,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “Our students deserve nothing less. We must ensure they can reach their full potential, and as legislators, it’s up to us to help make sure that happens," Santabarbara added. "We need to be their voice, and I'm pleased to see we are taking action.”

Schenectady schools are owed $51 million in Foundation Aid, part of $4.3 billion in funding which is owed statewide as a result of the 2007 Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. Regionally, schools in Schenectady, Albany and Montgomery Counties are owed more than $133 million in Foundation Aid. “We are grateful to the Assembly for its expressed support and commitment to education funding,” said Schenectady School District Superintendent Larry Spring. “The plan provides long-term consideration to high need districts, such as Schenectady and takes steps toward more equitable distribution of aid with a phase-in proposal for Foundation Aid. We sincerely appreciate the ongoing work and unwavering support of Assemblyman Santabarbara who continues to advocate for Schenectady and help ensure that we have the resources to meet the educational needs of the children in Schenectady.”

The proposal also allocates $25 million for Career and Technical Education and increases total BOCES aid to $904 million. Special Services Aid would receive $278 million.

“By putting the state on course to fully fund Foundation Aid and ensuring BOCES is properly funded, we can make sure that students are able to grow and thrive in a challenging and supportive academic environment,” Santabarbara concluded.