Governor Hochul & Senator Kaplan Announce Long Island Budget Wins

Includes $350 Million in Investments to Strengthen Long Island's Economy

$500 Million for the Development of Offshore Wind      

Increases School Aid on Long Island by $457.6 Million  

Includes Nearly $1 Million to Support Community-Based Not-For-Profit Groups That Provide Housing Assistance, Community Renewal Activities, and Rental Subsidies in the Long Island Region    

Provides Nearly $63 Million to Support Addiction Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention on Long Island    

Allocates Approximately $370,000 to fund the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Services Program within the Long Island Region  
 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced regional investments of the FY 2023 budget to deliver for Long Island families. Governor Hochul's historic FY 2023 budget pairs bold vision with fiscal responsibility, investing in the long-term future of New York. Rebuilding the healthcare economy, building the education system of the future, reducing the tax burden for those who need it most, improving the state's transportation and housing infrastructure, combating climate change, creating jobs, and improving public safety and ethics in government are front and center in this blueprint to meet the opportunity to invest in New Yorkers.

"With our transformative $221 billion budget, we're showing that we can tackle the big issues facing New Yorkers, and I'm proud to announce historic investments that will make a real difference in people's lives on Long Island now and for years to come," Governor Hochul said. "From historic support for our schools and tax relief for middle-class New Yorkers, to the largest investment in infrastructure in State history - filling the potholes that plague our streets - this budget delivers for Long Islanders in a big way. Every New Yorker deserves a fair shot at achieving what I call the "New York Dream," and I look forward to seeing all the ways this budget will help build a better, fairer, and more inclusive New York State."

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said, "Long Islanders sent us to Albany to deliver results, and the budget we just finished does exactly that by addressing public safety, cutting taxes, and delivering record-breaking funding for our schools, roads, law enforcement, and healthcare. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the partnership of my colleagues in the Senate Majority, Long Islanders will get real relief from high taxes and gas prices, our schools will be able to provide our kids the best education, and we'll be able to invest in the community services that help our neighbors and make our communities safer and stronger."

Regional highlights of the FY 2023 Budget specific to Long Island's communities include:

Local Government

• Provide Aid and Incentives to Municipalities. The Budget provides $26.2 million in general purpose aid to the region's local governments.
• Consolidate Local Governments to Create Taxpayer Savings. The Budget provides $1 million in savings for Long Island taxpayers residing in dissolved villages through the Citizen Empowerment Tax Credit (CETC) program.
   

Economic Development

• Long Island Investment Fund. The Budget includes $350 million to support capital investments for projects that support and grow the regional economy and enhance communities across Long Island.
• Offshore Wind. $500 million for the development of New York's offshore wind port infrastructure and related supply chain. Funding will supply the infrastructure needed to advance offshore wind industry, leveraging private capital to deliver more than $2 billion in economic activity while creating more than 2,000 green jobs.
• Cold Spring Harbor/Stony Brook AI Partnership. $50 million to support an artificial intelligence partnership between Cold Spring Harbor Lab and Stony Brook University.
   

Education

• Support Long Island Schools. New York State continues its strong commitment to education by providing additional funding to meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools amid the ongoing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The FY 2023 Enacted Budget increases School Aid on Long Island by $457.6 million (12.7 percent), including a $406.7 million (17.1 percent) increase in Foundation Aid. This increase is largely driven by the second year of the three-year phase-in of full funding of the Foundation Aid formula.
   

Energy and Environment

• The FY23 Enacted Budget includes additional funding for the following State Park projects:
  • $5 million for Jones Beach East Bathhouse Design
  • $4 million for Bayard Cutting Arboretum Visitor Center
  • $300,000 for Montauk Downs Clubhouse Transformation
• The FY23 Enacted Budget includes additional funding for the following DEC project:
  • Lower Peconic River fishing access improvements off Route 25 in Riverhead. Improvements include a canoe portage with steps, boat slide, hand carry boat launch and parking lot improvements.
• $2.5 million for the Long Island Pine Barrens Commission, supported by the EPF.
• $4.5 million for Suffolk County and $5 million for Nassau County in Water Quality Protection Improvement Program funding, supported by the EPF.
• $1 million for the Center for Clean Water at Stony Brook, supported by the EPF.
   

Health

• Invest in Local Health Departments. The Enacted Budget includes $1.9 million in funding to increase the General Public Health Work (Article 6) base grants -- $885,000 for Nassau County and $970,000 for Suffolk County. The Enacted Budget also invests funding for all counties to cover a portion of fringe benefit costs for public health staff through State Aid reimbursement, which will help counties increase their staffing levels to meet public health demands.
   

Housing

• Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Program (NPP/ RPP). The Enacted Budget includes nearly $1 million for the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) and Rural Preservation Program (RPP) to support community-based not-for-profit groups that provide housing assistance, community renewal activities, and rental subsidies in the Long Island region.
• Rural Rental Assistance Program (RRAP). The Executive provides rental assistance through the Rural Rental Assistance Program (RRAP) for more than 50 units of low-income housing for rural tenants on Long Island.