By Hank Russell
Despite an announcement by Governor Kathy Hochul that the budget has been approved, many elected officials have said it still needs to be completed before it can be approved.
The $268 billion budget includes, among other things, an additional $1.7 billion for universal child care; the pied-á-terre tax on second homes in New York City; $1 billion in energy rebates; prohibiting local law enforcement from entering into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); expediting affordable housing and infrastructure projects; and $352 million for gun violence prevention.
“I promised a Budget that works for working people and expands opportunities for all New Yorkers and I was not going to back down from that fight,” Hochul said. “Alongside my partners in the Legislature, today we are delivering on that promise. This Budget includes sweeping changes to lower costs, enhance public safety, protect our communities from federal overreach and invest in the future of New York families.”
But some believe the budget isn’t yet a done deal.
“Even on the policies that she put out there today, some of these things are still incomplete,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) told Gothamist.
Heastie was also quoted by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle as saying, “I said to her last night, I was comfortable with her saying to y’all, we were close. It is close,” Heastie added. “But this is what’s wrong with this process … There’s so many open issues on money … We signed off on nothing major.”
Republicans were quick to pounce on Hochul’s budget announcement.
“Kathy Hochul’s budget is a triple threat to your wallet: more taxes, record spending, and a utility bill crisis with no end in sight,” said Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive and Hochul’s Republican opponent for governor. “ In fact, it should be labeled hazardous for your bank account.”
Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) noted the budget is $14 billion more than the previous budget. He said it doesn’t matter if the budget is finalized or not, “the reality is this: there are no budget bills, no financial plan, and not a single tangible piece of what’s required to finish this process.”
“Two things are certain: Albany is completely dysfunctional, and spending is going up yet again,” Ra added. “Democrats’ refusal to rein in out-of-control spending habits is driving an affordability crisis that is leading millions of New Yorkers to question whether to call this state home anymore. Without greater fiscal restraint and responsible spending practices, New York is hurdling toward an unsustainable economic future.”