FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 13, 2019

Assembly Budget Includes Critical Aid to Assist Localities


Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Local Governments Committee Chair Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and Transportation Committee Chair William B. Magnarelli today announced that the Assembly State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2019-20 Budget provides funding support to programs that provide a direct benefit to local governments including Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) funding and Consolidated Local Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) funding.

"The Assembly budget recognizes that municipalities throughout the state, despite their many financial difficulties, continue to provide New Yorkers with essential services they depend on," said Speaker Heastie. "The AIM and CHIPs funding in our budget will give some financial relief to localities and help them better meet the needs of their residents."

"Local governments throughout our state are financially stressed and continue to face a range of financial challenges," said Assemblymember Thiele. "The amounts provided in the Assembly budget proposal will help alleviate this financial burden, and help municipalities maintain a quality of life for the communities they serve."

"We in the Assembly are committed to funding transportation for all New Yorkers," said Assemblymember Magnarelli. "The Assembly's budget proposal ensures districts will get the help they need to maintain roadways and improve transit systems statewide."

AIM Program

The Assembly's budget allows local governments to continue using AIM funding at their discretion. The AIM program was established in the SFY 2005-06 Budget to provide towns, villages and cities outside of New York City with unrestricted state aid.

The Assembly budget would restore proposed cuts to unrestricted State Aid for certain towns and villages, and provides AIM funding of $715 million, an increase of $59 million from the executive's proposal.

Capital

In addition, the Assembly proposes $20 million in capital for land banks, to be directed in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General.

Revenue

The plan would require marketplace providers to collect sales tax on taxable sales of tangible personal property, leveling the playing field for brick and mortar stores while generating increased revenue for local governments.

State Board of Elections

The Assembly budget provides $27 million in capital funds for local boards of elections to purchase electronic poll books and on-demand ballot printers. It also provides an additional $7 million to offset other costs associated with early voting.

Agriculture and Markets

The spending plan includes $32.4 million for agricultural aid to localities, an increase of $2.9 million dollars above the executive proposal. This will restore and increase funding for agricultural programs and initiatives, including Agriculture Migrant Child Care.

Clean Water Infrastructure

The Assembly budget allocates $15 million for municipal dam safety projects from a previously unallocated portion of the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017.

Funding Assistance for Local Government's Roads and Highways

The Assembly budget proposal provides $438.1 million in CHIPs funding, which includes $65 million for extreme winter recovery, ensuring that those hardest hit with winter storms have the resources they need to improve and maintain their roadways. It also funds the Marchiselli Program at $39.7 million.

The spending plan funds upstate transit systems at $226.5 million, an increase of $8.8 million above the executive proposal. This increase is funded through the proposed imposition of a six percent surcharge on auto rentals outside of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District.

The Assembly budget proposal includes legislation to phase in, over a period of three years, an increase in the reimbursement rate for cities maintaining and repairing state arterial highways and provides $4.2 million for the first year of funding.