State officials brief Yates Legislature

State officials brief Yates Legislature

YATES COUNTY--State Senator Tom O'Mara (R,C,I--Big Flats) and State Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I--Corning) gave the Yates County Legislature an update on the state budget during a special meeting Monday, Feb. 22. During the meeting, the representatives touched on issues like the minimum wage increase, mandate relief and infrastructure funding. The two also answered questions raised by the legislators about the heroin problem and the possibility of raising the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.
The discussion started with the representatives giving the legislature a summary of the budget process. O'Mara said the legislature is about halfway through, with one of the major issues being Gov. Andrew Cuomo's minimum wage increase to $15 an hour. The state senator noted both he and Palmesano have "grave concerns" about the impact of it not just to local governments, but also to quasi-governmental entities like the human services field. O'Mara said there is no indication in the budget the governor has proposed so far that there will be any resources to provide for those increases in expenses.
Palmesano added estimates show a potential loss of 200,000 jobs across the state. Another concern O'Mara voiced was with the low tax cap for municipalities, noting he is advocating for an increase in aid funding to help local government meet their needs within the tax cap.
"I don't think we contemplated at the time that we were going to be at the 0.12 percent level for the tax cap, but here we are," O'Mara said. "It is really a pittance for any budgeting process to go through [...] without any additional aid coming from the state."
He also touched on a bill he is co-sponsoring regarding mandate relief to have the state take over the cost of indigent legal defenses. O'Mara said this proposal would help phase out the local share of this cost over four years. He also said both he and Palmesano have previously supported the state takeover of Medicaid costs, as New York is one of the last few states who still require a local share.
Palmesano spoke briefly about the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement (CHIPS) Program. He said with such a tight tax cap, it will be hard for many municipalities to make investments in their local infrastructure. Palmesano said he is seeking more CHIPS funding, proposing $1 billion for bridges and $1 billion for pavement, with half going to the state and half going local.
The assemblyman also discussed the governor's proposed changes to the School Tax Assessment Relief (STAR) program. He said the program has worked very well since it started in 1998 where it was taken right out of the school tax bills. Now Palmesano said Cuomo wants to make residents pay the full bill up front and file the exemption with their tax return. He noted this will be very burdensome for seniors living on a fixed income who do not file tax returns.
The legislators also brought up several issues of their own, such as the heroin issue within the county. O'Mara said there was between $6 million and $7 million in the budget going toward increasing the number of beds for detox and treatment.
"I think it will be a drop in the bucket compared to what we need," O'Mara added.
O'Mara noted he does not think this is an issue that money alone can solve, adding it is a social issue communities have to come together to overcome. Palmesano agreed, adding the government needs to move quickly and decisively to avoid more deaths.
Legislator Bill Holgate brought up the issue of raising the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, noting it would be a big burden on counties who had to reserve space in their jails for those who are under 18. District Attorney Valerie Gardner also said she does not see the need to completely retrofit an adult prison for a specific age group. Holgate added this could be another potential cost for counties to bear.