Local elected officials were mostly supportive of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2015-16 budgetary proposals outlined during Wednesday’s State of the State address, though some were skeptical of the long-term effects of his agenda on property taxes and education reform.
Cuomo announced a $141.6 million budget that calls for a 2.8 percent spending increase, amounting to an approximately $4 billion difference from 2014-15. He proposed about $94 billion to be raised in taxes, a 1.7 percent increase.
“I would say that by and large his presentation was very well received,” State Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) said.
Cuomo’s agenda for the coming year includes investments in infrastructure and further property tax relief, expanding upon initiatives from his first term to cap municipal spending and offer property tax freeze credits.
State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) said in a statement that the state Legislature has achieved “some great things” in bipartisan fashion under Cuomo, and that he would continue to support the governor’s proposals in Cuomo’s second term in office.
Martins touted the state reaching low income and business tax rates, a government he called “functioning and fiscally responsible” as well as “smart investments in economic development, infrastructure and education.”
“I look forward to reviewing all of the governor’s proposals in greater detail as the budget process begins,” he said. “Though there may be differing approaches to achieving our shared goals, we must continue to work together, find common ground and build on our progress to ensure that New York state continues moving forward.”
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, who attended the State of the State address Wednesday, also welcomed Cuomo’s budgetary proposal.
In a statement, the Republican said an income tax credit initiative included in the governor’s plans would “put money back in the pockets of our residents” and protect them fiscally as the property tax cap and property tax freeze credit have in the last few years.
“For too long, state government taxed too high,” Mangano said. “I’m happy to see changes that better reflect our economy and deliver relief for our residents.”
Lavine said he supported the proposed $150 million to construct parking facilities near Long Island Railroad stations across the region, saying it would benefit commuters and the environment.
State Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck) in a statement said “there is much more to be done” with regard to improving the state economy, including the restoration of the gap elimination adjustment, a system under which state aid to schools is cut to make up for shortfalls in budgeted revenue.
But State Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said in a statement that Cuomo’s tax proposals do not adequately plan for long-term relief, and that Long Island deserves its “fair share of this new infrastructure spending to keep travel and business development moving in the right direction.”
He said he was also concerned with Cuomo’s plans on reforming the state Education Department and Common Core standards, of which the assemblyman has been critical in the past.
Cuomo proposed a reform of the teacher evaluation system that emphasizes classroom observation and student performance on state exams.
He also said that underperforming schools would be reformed using a model similar to that of Massachusetts. If a school fails for three years, Cuomo said a non-profit, another district or a “turn-around expert” would be brought in to create a plan to overhaul the entire school.
He said additional funding for underperforming schools would not be an adequate method for reform because “money without reform only grows the bureaucracy. It does not improve performance.”
Ra, who in early January was reappointed as the ranking member of the state Education Committee, said the governor’s proposals “represent a doubling down on high-stakes testing and a continued decline of local control over our schools.”
“If we want to truly address the inequities in educational achievement described by the governor, we should provide flexibility to our high-achieving districts and focus on improving schools that need enhancement,” Ra said. “One size does not fit all, and it never will in a state as diverse as New York, yet these proposals take us one step further toward complete control of our schools.”
Lavine said he does not agree with Cuomo’s “observations about the teaching profession in general,” and that he was concerned over the number of schools struggling across Long Island.
