Tedisco: Governor’s Downstate-centric Budget Misfires By Taking AIM from Upstate Towns & Villages

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) today is calling on the Governor and Legislative Leaders to restore $60 million in AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities) affecting more than 90 percent of towns and villages across the state, especially, those cash-strapped municipalities Upstate.

State AIM funding, which has remained flat since 2011, helps local governments lower property taxes and provide vital local services such as law enforcement and public safety and to maintain local infrastructure including roads and bridges. 

While the new state fiscal year is scheduled to begin on April 1^st, towns and villages have already passed their local budgets and are now scrambling to plan for a potential loss of significant funding just a few months into their fiscal year.

“The Governor’s budget proposal to take AIM funding from Upstate towns and villages that depend on that money for public safety efforts and fixing our dilapidated infrastructure is one of the biggest misfires in a plan that offers very little for Upstate taxpayers and to stop the exodus of people from the Empire State,” said Senator Tedisco.  “This is likely just the beginning of the neglect that Upstate will soon feel and is clearly what happens when you have one voice from one region of the state controlling all levers of power in state government that lacks check and balances. This proposal is an outrageous scheme to bankrupt local governments and stick property taxpayers with the bill to clean up the mess.”

“I’m calling on the Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Speaker and all of my colleagues to reject the Governor’s budget proposal to rob our local governments of their much-needed AIM funding and stop this plan dead in its tracks,” said Tedisco, who is drafting a letter with his request to the Governor, Leaders and his colleagues.

In the 49^thSenate District for example, AIM funding would be completely eliminated for several communities including Clifton Park ($98,088 cut), Glenville ($176,465 cut), Niskayuna ($101,675 cut), Village of Scotia ($69,897 cut), Malta ($25,627 cut), Milton ($106,050 cut), Village of Ballston Spa ($41,925 cut), Village of Mayfield ($6,419 cut), Town of Johnstown ($54,381 cut), Indian Lake ($11,654 cut), Village of Speculator ($1,815 cut), and Town of Webb ($11,996 cut).