Governor Paterson submits revised Revenue Bill to the Legislature
ALBANY, N.Y. - Governor David A. Paterson today sent to the Legislature a revised Revenue Budget Bill that would, among other actions, ensure the State budget is in balance, provide critical property tax relief to New York property owners, and make the State's public colleges and universities among the best in the country. The Governor called on Legislative Leaders to take up his revenue bill and complete the passage of a responsible State budget.
"The Legislature has failed in its constitutional duty to pass a balanced budget," Governor Paterson said. "I will, once again, provide it with an option that not only generates enough revenue to balance the budget, but also includes critical policy initiatives that should be addressed. My plan also provides a responsible solution to the very real possibility that full FMAP funding will not be provided to New York. I call upon the Legislature to take up my revised revenue bill and put an end to the budget uncertainty." Among other proposals, the Governor's revised Revenue Budget Bill would: • Create a contingency plan should the Federal Government fail to provide enhanced Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) funds. This provision ensures State fiscal balance by reducing State agency undisbursed appropriations by up to $1.085 billion in a uniform manner and placing these savings in a contingency fund "lock box;" • Enact an amended version of Governor Paterson's Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act that would allow differential tuition for certain doctoral campuses at a maximum of seven percent, annual general tuition increases at a maximum of four percent, and increase the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) ceiling starting in State Fiscal Year 2011-12 to $5,000 plus 60 percent of the difference between $5,000 and the maximum resident undergraduate SUNY/CUNY tuition; • Establish a school district and local government property tax levy cap that would limit tax levy growth to the lesser of four percent or 120 percent of the annual increase in the consumer price index. The tax cap would apply to all school districts other than the "Big Five," and to all counties, cities (other than New York City), towns, villages, special districts and fire districts; and • Institute a three-year moratorium on new unfunded legislative mandates on local governments and school districts, providing those entities with much-needed fiscal relief. Governor Paterson presented his Executive Budget proposal on January 19th. The New York State Budget was statutorily due on April 1 and is now more than three months late. The full bill is available online at: http://www.ny.gov/governor/bills/program_bills_2010.html |
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