As Cuomo Banks on Federal Funds, Localities Grow Nervous New York counties face spending cuts totalling $163 million from school districts, libraries, nonprofits and human services for low-income families if the multibillion federal aid that Gov. Cuomo is expecting doesn’t happen. Tom Precious, The Buffalo News | January 25, 2021 | Analysis
(TNS) Receive from above, take from below. Such is the essence of one theme of the 2021 state budget plan unveiled last week by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
The Democratic governor s budget plan has a basic premise: Red ink will be washed away only if his request for a bailout from the federal government happens.
Press-Republican PLATTSBURGH Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget presentation left something to be desired for local officials. In an hourlong speech, the governor focused largely on what New York state’s share of the $350 billion allocated for state and local government aid under President-elect Joe Biden’s American Rescue plan would turn out to be. “There are two scenarios: If New York State gets $6 billion, we can kind of do X, but if it gets $15 billion, then we can do Y,” Clinton County Legislature Chair Mark Henry (R-Area 3) said. “Until those scenarios are fleshed out, it’s very difficult to tell what this exactly means to counties and local governments specifically.”
County Governments Renew Federal Aid Push PUBLISHED 5:46 AM ET Jan. 14, 2021 PUBLISHED 5:46 AM EST Jan. 14, 2021
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County leaders on Wednesday renewed their push for direct federal aid as top congressional lawmakers signaled they were also stepping up efforts to help local governments recoup the billions of dollars lost during the pandemic.
The push from the New York State Association of Counties this year also comes as the chances of another COVID-19 stimulus package have improved with Democrats poised to gain narrow control of the U.S. Senate.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is in line to become majority leader of a 50-50 Senate, with incoming Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Schumer, along with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, backed legislation on Wednesday designed to aid local governments.
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A masked Sen. Charles Schumer visits Saranac Lake in August 2020.
(Enterprise photo â Amy Scattergood ALBANY Leaders of New York’s local governments, facing sharp revenue declines as a result of the shutdown of portions of the state’s economy last year, are infused with fresh optimism now that a familiar face is about to ascend to one of the federal government’s most influential legislative posts. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is on the cusp of becoming the Senate majority leader as a result of the apparent victories by the two Democrats this week in Senate runoff elections in Georgia. The Republicans will also field 50 senators to match the Democrats, but Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will vote in the event of a tie, giving Democrats a majority in the upper chamber of Congress.