Grisanti Announces Over $865,000 For Town of Hamburg From Video Lottery Terminals

Senator Mark Grisanti (R, I-60) today announced that his efforts were successful in obtaining additional funding for the Town of Hamburg in 2014 state budget for hosting the video lottery terminals.

Senator Grisanti was able to secure over $865,679 to the Town of Hamburg and $288,560 to Erie County for a total of $1,154,239.

“I am proud to have been able to secure additional state funding for the Town of Hamburg and increase that total from 2013′s state budget,” said Senator Grisanti. “This is a huge victory for the Town of Hamburg and the extra funding to the Town could be used for a variety of things like continuing to lower taxes, infrastructure or other projects.”

Prior to Senator Grisanti being in office, the Town of Hamburg was cut by over 60% in the aid they were receiving in 2008 and 2009 from the Video Lottery Terminal funds. There was an Upstate versus Downstate divide as Yonkers was only cut 2%.

Senator Grisanti was alerted of the problem by Hamburg Supervisor Steve Walters in 2012 after the Senator’s district included Hamburg after redistricting. Since then, Senator Grisanti has led the charge and was able to secure $680,176 in the 2013 budget and now $865,679 in the 2014 budget.

It is important to note that Senator Grisanti led this effort to increase funding for the Town of Hamburg. Senator Grisanti sent a letter to Majority Leader Dean Skelos on February 5, 2014 asking him to consider the problem with the inequality of funding to Hamburg. Language was then included to address the funding issue in the Senate’s one house budget resolution which was passed earlier this month and now the 2014 State budget includes additional funding for the Town of Hamburg which will be passed by April 1, 2014.