By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Feb. 3, 2021:  On January 19, Governor Cuomo released the details of his 2021 -2022 executive budget proposal. The Governor has requested $15 billion in Covid relief aid from the federal government. Since there is no way of knowing the final total delivered to New York, the Governor’s budget assumes $6 billion in additional federal aid as the lower end of possible outcomes. As a result, the $6 billion assumption drives reductions in nearly every category of the budget.

The executive budget is really the agenda for the upcoming legislative year and since currently all three branches of New York government are controlled by the same party, it is highly probable that many of these initiatives will come to fruition.

After a read of the entire document, I culled the proposals that would have a direct effect on residents.

Economy

At the village budget level, the small amount we get as aid to municipalities will be reduced to $50,000 and our normal additional recovery of winter storm funding was not included in the budget.

Tax on income over $5 million annually was increased from the rate of 8.82% to 10.82% while taxes for the middle class will drop to 5.5% for those in the $27,900 to $160,550 tax bracket and to 6% for those in the $161,550-$323,200 bracket.

The tax rate for small businesses will be reduced from 6.5% to 4% which is estimated to benefit 36,000 taxpayers, saving them $35 million.

Interest rates on court judgments or accrued claims would be changed from a fixed rate of 9% to a market rate similar to the federal court system.

New Rochelle, Mount Vernon , White Plains and Yonkers would be given permanent authority to impose a 1% additional tax for a total of 4% of their currently authorized additional rate .

All vacation rentals would be subject to the same sales tax as traditional hotels, motels and B&Bs.

Infrastructure

The Governor proposes to expand the infrastructure budget by $25 billion to $275 billion with new investments in transit, roads and bridges. This will be added to the $600 billion funding for the Long Island Railroad, LaGuardia and JFK airports, the Javits Center expansion, four new Bronx Metro North stations and the Empire State Trail as well as a $1 billion broadband program ensuring Internet access to all New Yorkers.

The budget will continue to support the $52 billion MTA capital plan including $3 billion to make 70 subway stations accessible.

Nine billion is earmarked for affordable housing and $128 billion for the Homeless Housing Assistance Project.

School Funding

The Governor’s main goal in this budget is to ensure education equity as wealthier school districts spend approximately $36,000 per student as opposed to $13,000 per student in poorer districts. To ensure that our state funds are used to reduce funding disparities, the new budget will increase school aid by $826 million with 86% of the funding going to highest need districts.

In addition, the governor proposed a new school aid funding formula to build up under served districts.

The Governor also proposes adding curriculum in the high schools on diversity and tolerance.

Health

The budget proposes legalizing the manufacturing and sale of cannabis products similar to provisions in laws in Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Governor hopes that legalization will end, “the over criminalization of this product that has left so many communities of color over policed and over incarcerated.” The law expressly preserves local municipality’s right to regulate the time, place and manner of retail dispensaries. The entire tax benefit will go directly to the State.

The budget proposes ending the sale of vaping products and vaping related ads targeted to youth as well as banning the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes in pharmacies.

In addition, the Governor advocates making fentanyl analogues a controlled substance with the ability to then prosecute for their manufacture, sale and distribution.

Insulin copayments would be capped at $100 per month. 

Health care premiums would be limited for 400,000 low income New Yorkers.

Environment

Environmental protection appropriations would include $39 million for solid waste programs, $89 million for parks and recreation, $152 million for open space programs and $20 million for climate change mitigation programs with the budget continuing the $333 billion five-year plan to combat climate change.

Proposal to build two wind farms 20 miles off the coast of Long Island and build an offshore wind tower manufacturing facility at the Port of Albany.

Comprehensive legislation to legalize and expand the E bike and E scooter network.
The Governor also proposes a bill to permanently ban fracking.

Miscellaneous

To restore confidence in election results state wide, the Governor proposes a standard for automatically triggering a recount if the margin is within 0.2% in state elections and a margin of 0.5% of votes cast in local elections.

Add sex as a protected class in the state constitution.

Legalize mobile sports gambling under a state run system similar to the lottery.

Require public officials to disclose their tax returns including every state representative or commission member and any local elected official with a salary of $100,000 or more.

Repeal the pink tax and prohibit gender based pricing discrimination for similar goods and services.

Ban repeat high-risk sex offenders from the MTA transit system.

Ban foreign influence, (a single foreign entity with control of 5% or more ownership of a company), from making campaign contributions.

Photo by A. Warner

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