Murphy co-sponsors legislation requiring state funding of mandated programs

ALBANY, NY - Senator Terrence Murphy has long been opposed to unfunded mandates that place a financial burden on local governments, schools and taxpayers. To ease this financial stress, Senator Murphy and his colleagues approved a measure that would require certain state mandated programs imposed on municipalities and school districts to be funded by the state.

"As a former town councilman I know firsthand that unfunded mandates have been the bane of our existence. State mandated programs place local taxpayers and local officials in the position of paying for services and programs that they do not control," Senator Murphy said. "This bill requires programs that originate from the state to be paid for by the state. Kicking the proverbial can to find funding to local municipalities and school districts is unacceptable. Many of our school districts' budgets are already overburdened. The new bill will protect local municipalities and school districts from unfunded mandates and will allow local officials to set their own priorities."

Senator Joseph Griffo, the author of the legislation added, "Every time the state enacts a new mandated program, it's often left up to municipalities and school districts to find a way to pay for the new program. But, local municipalities and school districts are fiscally stressed enough, so they should have the freedom to decide what priorities and services they believe are worth funding for their communities, instead of being forced by the state to levy new taxes. If the state wants to tell municipalities and school districts what to do, then the state should be willing to provide the funding in order to achieve that goal. By once again passing this bill, the Senate continues to demonstrate its intolerance for unfunded mandates and the undue pressure it places on our communities."

State mandated programs place local taxpayers and local officials in the position of paying for services they didn't budget for.

These programs allow the state, rather than local officials, to set priorities for the locality, forcing municipalities to levy more taxes on its residents in order to pay for these state mandated programs. Under the provisions of the bill, the education law is amended so that no unfunded mandate will be enacted if it creates a net additional cost on any school district or local government.

The bill passed the Senate and will be sent to the Assembly.