Albany, N.Y., February 11—Local leaders from across New York State traveled to Albany this week for a meeting of the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) and to directly share their concerns with state legislators on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2020-2021 New York State budget.

The governor unveiled his Executive budget proposal in late January and the Legislature’s fiscal committees have been conducting public hearings on the $178-billion plan over the past several weeks.

State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) met with Corning Mayor Bill Boland, Corning City Manager Mark Ryckman and Corning City Councilmember Alison Hunt.

In a joint statement, O’Mara and Palmesano said, “Governor Cuomo’s proposed state budget has sounded alarms at the local level over potential costs shifts in Medicaid, new unfunded state mandates, and funding cuts in numerous areas, including local roads and bridges. We agree that the Cuomo budget plan, as it stands, risks putting a heavier burden on local governments and local property taxpayers, who are already at the breaking point in fundamental ways. Consequently, we appreciate many of the local officials we represent raising their voices and we will continue to work closely with them to protect our local communities and property taxpayers from unreasonable and unfair state efforts to pass the buck on fiscal responsibility.”

O’Mara and Palmesano stressed that they he would keep working with their legislative colleagues across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions to keep attention focused on unfunded state mandates, a stronger commitment to Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) to support local municipalities and property taxpayers, job-killing state regulations, out-of-control debt, public safety, and a state tax burden that hurts family budgets and keeps New York’s business climate one of the worst in the nation.

In the attached photo in the state Assembly Chamber, from left to right: Senator O’Mara, Corning City Manager Mark Ryckman, Corning Mayor Bill Boland, Corning City Councilmember Alison Hunt, and Assemblyman Palmesano.