SENATOR ANTONACCI CALLS ON GOVERNOR CUOMO TO RESTORE AIM FUNDING

          Towns and Villages throughout SD50 and SD53 are facing more than $3.0 million in cuts.

          Senator Robert Antonacci today called on legislative leaders to fully restore devastating cuts to Aid to Municipalities (AIM) funding proposed by Governor Cuomo in his Executive Budget.

          The proposed Executive budget called for $59.2 million in cuts to the AIM program, which provides operating aid to local governments throughout the State. The proposed cuts will strip more than $2.0 million in funding from towns and villages throughout the 50th Senate District. The 53^rd Senate District would lose over $1.1 million in AIM funding.

          “These proposed cuts will be devastating to the Central New York communities. Between the unfunded mandates that continue to burden the municipalities and now the proposed cut in AIM funding, our municipalities are struggling. At the end of the day, it will be the taxpayers who pay the price as it makes it even more difficult for the local governments to stay below the tax cap,” said Senator Antonacci.

          “These towns and villages have already adopted their budgets and are counting on that funding to continue to provide proper services to their residents. These cuts must be completely restored in this year’s final enacted budget,” said Senator Antonacci. “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, it is devastating across the board and I look forward to working with Senator May and fight to have the AIM funding restored.”

          The final budget is expected to be enacted by March 31st.

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