Senator John W. Mannion Secures Property Tax Relief, Middle Class Tax Cuts, COLA for I/DD Care Workers, Clear Air and Water Protections, and Historic Education Funding in 2021-2022 New York State Budget

ALBANY, NY – Senator John W. Mannion (D-Geddes) today announced property tax relief, middle class and small business tax cuts, a long overdue COLA for the I/DD workforce, clean air and water protections, and historic education funding in the enacted 2021-2022 state budget.

“The enacted state budget is the spending plan that New York needs to move past COVID-19 and begin anew with fully funded schools, a middle class tax cut, protecting our environment, and raises for many frontline health care heroes, said Senator Mannion. “I do not believe all aspects of this budget - including the Excluded Workers Fund - are good public policy but the budget must be measured in its entirety. I am confident that it helps those who need it most, asks for the correct amount from those who can easily afford it, and puts New York State on a positive trajectory after a difficult year for so many.”

Senator Mannion opposes the $2.1B Excluded Workers Fund. He agrees undocumented New Yorkers need relief, but he believes there are better solutions to assist them, including by expanding funding and eligibility under existing programs.  

Budget Highlights:

Education

• Provides a total State-funded school aid increase of $3.1 billion (11.7 percent), including a $1.4 billion (7.6 percent) Foundation Aid increase. The Legislature requires federal aid to supplement, not supplant, State funding, with $3.85 billion in federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act funding and $8.2 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding provided to school districts. State-funded school aid increases to a total of $29.6 billion, $3.7 billion (14.2 percent) more than the Executive Budget proposal.
• Provides a three-year phase-in of Foundation Aid, ensuring that all districts would receive their full Foundation Aid by the 2023-24 school year. Every school district is guaranteed a minimum 2.0 percent increase in Foundation Aid and every district is allocated at least 60 percent of their full Foundation Aid funding for the 2021-22 school year;
• Restores the Executive’s proposed consolidation and $693 million cut to expense-based aids. The Legislature fully funds expense-based aids at the current law level of $9.2 billion, an increase of $443 million over 2020-21 school year levels;
• Provides $105 million to expand four-year-old full-day prekindergarten, with $90 million provided by formula and $15 million via a competitive grant process. Funding is prioritized to school districts who do not currently have any State-funded prekindergarten slots. This proposal will provide additional prekindergarten funding via the allocation formula to 232 school districts, 210 of which will receive State funding for full-day prekindergarten for the first time. Prekindergarten funding will increase by $20 million annually for the next two years, for a total expansion of $145 million in 2023-24;
• In the 50th Senate District, Full-Day Pre-K programs for 4 year olds will be created in the following school districts: 
  • Westhill 
  • West Genesee
  • Tully
  • Skaneateles
  • North Syracuse
  • Marcellus
  • Liverpool
  • Jamesville-Dewitt
  • Fayetteville-Manlius
  • Baldwinsville
• $94.1 million for public libraries, an increase of $7.1 million;
• Increase library construction by $20 million, for a total of $34 million;
• $475,000 for the Magellan Foundation Inc;
• Provides $275,000 for the Auburn Enlarged City School District;

Higher Education

• Provides $10 million for capital improvements to the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center;
• Expand the Tuition Assistance Program by raising the maximum award by $500 from $5,165 to $5,665 and making college more affordable for New Yorkers
• Provides a four-year phase-in of the elimination of the $76.1 million TAP Gap, with SUNY seeing a $22 million reduction in its TAP Gap in 2021-22.
• Restores the Executive’s proposed $46.4 million cut in operating support for SUNY State-operated campuses;
• Provides an additional $6.4 million for Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), for a total of $38.6 million;
• Provides an additional $4 million for Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), for a total of $66 million;
• Restores $700,000 for the Small Business Development Centers;
• Provides $7.1 million in additional funding for the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), for a total of $42.6 million;
• Provides $3.7 million in additional funding for the Liberty Partnerships Program, for a total of $22 million;
• Provides $3.2 million in additional funding for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), for a total of $19 million;
• Provides $2.4 million in additional funding for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP), for a total of $14.4 million;
• Provides $2 million to provide additional support for resident students with disabilities attending college in New York;
• Provides $1.2 million in additional funding for the Foster Youth Initiative, for a total of $7.2 million; 
• Provides $100,000 to Syracuse University’s InclusiveU Program.
• Restores $35.1 million for Bundy Aid, general operating support for private colleges

Child Care

• $1.5 million for child care facilitated enrollment demonstration projects in New York City, Erie County, and Onondaga County;
• $2.4 billion in federal funding for childcare services:
  • $1.26 billion for stabilization grants for providers;
  • $291 million to provide 12 months of eligibility for services to families;
  • $225 million to expand local social service districts allocations to provide increased access to child care for families with an income up to 200% of the federal poverty level;
  • $192 million to reduce copayments for families to 10% of their income above the federal poverty level;
  • $120 million to cover 24 absences per year for child care providers, including payments for absences in SFY 2020-21;
  • $100 million for child care deserts;
  • $50 million for the expansion of child care facilitated enrollment demonstration projects at existing locations;
  • $40 million in grants for cleaning, personal protective equipment and other supplies;
  • $39 million to support Quality Star NY program to provide improvements to the child care system; and
  • $25 million for essential workers.
• $750,000 for the NYS Alliance of Boys and Girls Club;
• $400,000 for the NYS YMCA foundation;
• $10.5 million for youth, gang, and gun violence prevention programs;
• $5 million in additional funding for the Advantage Afterschool Program, for a total of $33 million;

Local Aid & Affordability 

• Ensures the continuation of the middle class tax cut; 
• Creation of a personal income tax credit to reduce the net cost of property taxes for overburdened middle-class homeowners; 
• Creation of a COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide $2.43 billion in rent and utility relief for tenants with household incomes of up to 120% AMI; 
• $600 million to support the Homeownership Relief and Protection Program, including $20 million per year for three years for the Homeowner Protection Program;
• $125 million for statewide public housing authorities capital improvements; 
• Restores $39 million of Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM);
• $3 million in funding for Refugee Resettlement; 
• $1.5 million in additional funding for the Disability Advocacy Program (DAP), for a total of $4.1 million;
• $450 million in additional funding for HEAP, for a total of $950 million;
• $200 million to establish the Pandemic Emergency Assistance program;
• $120 million to establish the Water Assistance program;
• $100 million to establish the Transitional Rental Assistance program;
• $100 million to establish the Supplemental Emergency Rental Assistance program;
• $80 million in additional funding for SNAP, for a total of $500 million;

Expanding Access to Broadband

• Creates a $15/month internet plan for low-income customers from broadband service providers
• Requires the Public Service Commission to study the availability, reliability, and cost of high-speed internet services and to publish a detailed internet access map of the State.

Infrastructure

• Provides $100 million to be added to the base amount for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), for a total of $538 million in CHIPS funding;
• Provides $100 million for a new City Touring Routes program to prioritize road repair in urbanized areas of the State, which often experience a stagnant tax base, extreme weather swings, and a lack of maintained roads;
• Restores $65 million for Extreme Winter Recovery and increases this critical funding by an additional $35 million for a total of $100 million;
• Provides $50 million in additional funding for the PAVE-NY program, for a total of $150 million. The PAVE-NY Program provides State funds to municipalities to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of local highways and roads.
• Restores $160 million in proposed transfers from dedicated revenue funds that support transportation systems statewide, including for the MTA;
• Restores $116 million in withheld Statewide Mass Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA) that was withheld from transit systems during SFY 2021. This fully restores STOA for the prior fiscal year;
• Aviation Capital Grant Program from $1.5 million to $2.5 million to fund aviation-related facility construction and reconstruction, terminal improvement and expansion, equipment purchases, and revenue-generating assets; 

Environmental

• $100,000 for an algae bloom monitoring system for Skaneateles Lake
• Advances proposals for Clean Water Infrastructure and the Environmental Protection Fund
• Authorizes a $3 billion Clean Water, Green Jobs, Green New York “Restore Mother Nature” Environmental Bond Act to be voted on November 2022. 
  • Restoration, and flood risk reduction, open space land preservation and recreation, climate change mitigation, water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure
• Extend prevailing wage to renewable energy projects and ensure the creation of good jobs and protection of workers in the green economy sector.

Disabilities

• Provides $26.9 million for Cost of Living Adjustment, the first COLA in a decade
• Restores $12 million for 5% Aid to Localities funding
• Restores $20.8 for Care Coordination Organization rates
• Restore $10.5 million for the 1 percent Medicaid rate reduction;
• Provides $740 million in appropriation authority which will award grants to strengthen and enhance home and community-based services consistent with the American Rescue Plan Act;
• Restores $150,000 for Best Buddies for a peer mentoring and leadership program;
• Restores $150,000 for the Special Olympics New York for the Unified Championship;
• Provides $100,000 for Access CNY for an direct service professional training program;

Veterans 

• Provides $4.995 million for a Joseph P. Dwyer peer to peer veteran mentoring program;
• $500,000 for the New York State Defenders Association Veterans Defense Program;

Business, Manufacturing and Job Creation 

• $750,000 for the Manufacturers Association of Central New York;
• $700,000 for CenterState CEO for Grants for Growth;
• $100,000 for the Syracuse Jazz Fest Productions, Inc;
• $150,000 for the Syracuse Build-Career Readiness Network;
• Buy American PPE - Mandates that all personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies purchased by State agencies, departments, and authorities must be made or produced in the United States, if that State entity’s contract is valued at over $50,000.
• $4 million for the Workforce Development Institute;
• $2.5 million for the Workforce Development Institute Manufacturing Initiative;
• $2.5 million for Statewide YouthBuild Programs;
• $895,455 for Syracuse University’s Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems Innovations
• Restoration of funding for Syracuse University’s Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE) 
• $375,000 to the Clarkson SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry Center Of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions;

COVID-19 Relief 

• $600 million for the State Small Business Credit Initiative Program;
• Provides $40 million for the Arts and Cultural Organization Recovery Grant Program to help the non-profit arts sector in New York State recover from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• $800 million for the Small Business Recovery Grant Program;
• $25 million for the Restaurant Resiliency Grant Program;

Health

• Require nursing homes to spend 70% of their revenue on direct resident care
• Ensure regional, geographic diversity for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) and ensure that qualified, local and trusted organizations serve as fiscal intermediaries