February 2, 2007
More than 750 attend NYSAC 2007 Legislative Conference
A record number of elected and appointed officials from 56 counties and New York City convened in Albany this week for the 2007 NYSAC Legislative Conference.
They were on hand to hear from Governor Eliot Spitzer and legislative leaders and attend information-packed workshops and meetings. The NYSAC members also reinforced their legislative priorities by adopting a resolution calling on state leaders to continue and expand a partnership with county officials to address issues impacting real property taxes.
Register Now to Join the NYSAC Executive Budget Webinar
NYSAC will conduct a Webinar for county officials on the impact of the Executive Budget proposal on February 9, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. NYSAC staff will provide a detailed analysis of the Executive Budget and its impact on county governments. While the event is complimentary, you must pre-register. Visit www.nysac.org or click on this link to download a registration form.
Executive Budget Limits Cost Shifts to Counties
This week at NYSAC’s annual legislative conference, Governor Spitzer declared that “the days when New York State balanced its budget on the backs of its counties, cities, towns and villages are over.” Based on our preliminary review of the 2007-08 Executive Budget released Wednesday, we believe that the Governor has lived up to that commitment by preserving funding to counties while minimizing cost shifts and other aid reductions. In total, the $120.6 billion spending plan includes major increases in education funding, children’s health care, a targeted enhancement of the STAR program and increased aid to distressed cities.
Major highlights with a positive impact on counties include the full implementation of the local Medicaid cap and a new state parole violator process designed to relieve pressure on local jails. Issues of concern to NYSAC include a plan to charge counties approximately $110 million over five years for Office of Children and Families Services (OCFS) State Training School Placements, the impact of state mandated salary increases associated with the proposed judicial salary increase and Medicaid cost containment measures that will burden county operated nursing facilities.
The following are highlights of significant budgetary actions impacting counties by programmatic area.
Medicaid
Contact: Ken Crannell
The Executive Budget fully implements the local Medicaid Cap, which limits local Medicaid payments in 2007 to $6.5 billion, an increase of 3.1 percent over 2006. In addition, Governor Spitzer has committed that all of his subsequent Executive Budgets will preserve this critical local fiscal relief measure.
Keeping with the current formula, all Medicaid administrative expenses incurred at the local level will be fully reimbursed under the Executive Budget, including expenses associated with expanded Medicaid coverage and cost containment actions, including an expanded county administrative effort related to spousal recoveries. A technical change to the local Medicaid cap statute would clarify that local payments made after January 2008 would continue to be applied to the state Medicaid program and not be an offset to general state spending.
The Executive Budget includes an enhanced Medicaid fraud control effort and includes changes to Chapter 442 of the Laws of 2006, which established the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General. Proposed changes include a new definition of healthcare fraud, a false claims act and Martin Act provisions. The Governor’s proposal preserves the enhanced local incentive to pursue civil litigation under 145-b of the Social Services Law.
While the Medicaid Cap limits a county’s financial liability toward the Medicaid program, counties that operate public nursing facilities will be negatively impacted from many of the specific Medicaid cost containment proposals recommended by the Governor. Proposals that impact county nursing facilities include the elimination of the nursing home inflationary trend factor, estimated at 2.5 percent, based on the Consumer Price Index; elimination of the Nursing Home Quality Improvement Demonstration Program, a Phase-out of the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Allocations; and the imposition of a Medicaid-only case mix. Lastly, the Governor proposes that the 6 percent reimbursable nursing home assessment be made permanent.
The Executive Budget preserves the grants negotiated by NYSAC last year to provide fiscal relief to public nursing facilities. Under this plan, public nursing homes receive $5 million in 2006-07, $15 million in 2007-08, $35 million in 2008-09 and $100 million in 2009-10 and years thereafter. In calendar year 2008, the public facilities should receive $20 million based on their ratio of Medicaid patient days, paid on a quarterly basis.
Welfare/Child Welfare
Contact: Jessica Morelli
Last September, counties were advised by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) that the rates for the local share of State Training School Placements would increase by approximately $28 million in 2006, an increase reaching as high as 51 percent. In addition, OCFS notified counties that retroactive payments would be required from January 2001 through 2005, representing a local impact of approximately $110 million.
NYSAC was disappointed to learn that the Governor has decided that counties will not be held harmless for this expense and that, instead, the Executive Budget provides for a five-year payment plan for counties. Should this be adopted in the final State Budget, NYS Division of the Budget (DOB) estimates this will have a negative impact in local fiscal year 2007 of $3.3 million for NYC and $7.5 million for counties. In local fiscal year 2008, the impact rises to $14.4 million in NYC and $12.6 for counties. Specific timing for the re-payment plan has not yet been determined and is therefore not outlined in the budget.
In an effort to counteract mistakes like this from recurring, the Executive Budget includes the creation of a new, transparent account, the “Youth Facility Per Diem Special Revenue Account,” for the purpose of dealing with counties per diem billings. The new account will allow the Governor and Legislature to view and monitor (via the Office of the State Comptroller) all account activity and improve transparency. Currently only OCFS staff have access to this information.
In addition, the Executive Budget gives OCFS the authority to close three community residential facilities as of October 1, 2007. The three homes are located in Gloversville, Mount Vernon and Brooklyn. OCFS would not be required to adhere to existing statute’s closure notice requirement, which was increased from nine months to twelve months in 2006. The New York State Division of the Budget estimates no adverse impact to counties, and employees of the homes are eligible for transfer to other facilities.
The Governor continues open-ended funding for Child Welfare (CW) Services with an increase of $84 million in 2007-08, from $381.7 million to $465.6 million. Also, the Executive Budget proposes making permanent the 2002 Child Welfare Financing Reform and Committee on Special Education Reform, permanent. Under current law, these initiatives are scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2007. The 2002 Child Welfare Financing Reform created three General Fund supported funding streams to support at-risk children and their families, including:
- the Foster Care Block Grant;
- open-ended funding for preventive, protective and other child welfare services (see above); the State pays 65 percent (net of Federal Assistance) and the counties pay the remaining 35 percent; and
- the Child Welfare Quality Enhancement Fund.
The Committee on Special Education Reform (CSE), enacted in 2003, shifted the room and board cost shares from 50 percent State and 50 percent local to 40 percent State, 40 percent local and 20 percent local school district. The justification behind this was to give school districts a greater financial role in ensuring the appropriate placement of special education children.
It is important to note that should the CW Financing Reform and CSE statutes not be made permanent, foster care reimbursement would return to open-ended 50/50 State/local shares, and preventive services delivered by counties would no longer be eligible for State reimbursement. In addition, school districts would no longer have a financial stake in the residential placement of their special education children.
Other highlights of Child Welfare funding include:
- Child Welfare Quality Enhancement: $3.9 million in State funding to counties and non-profit groups to promote the development of innovative child welfare service delivery models and to support training for caseworkers and public information programs targeting child abuse and neglect awareness.
- Enhanced Detection and Treatment of Substance Abuse Issues Among Child Welfare Families: Continues $5 million in State funding to support demonstration projects that will improve access to substance abuse preventive services and treatment within child welfare offices in order to speed detection and treatment of substance abuse problems for families served by the child welfare system.
- Improved Access to Mental Health Services: $4.3 million to implement a new Medicaid waiver designed to enhance services to children in foster care with multiple needs. This waiver is expected to begin in October 2007.
- Adoption Subsidies: $209.6 million, an increase of $16 million, for the State’s share of subsidies provided to families that adopt children with special needs. These funds will support over 47,000 children in adoptive homes and include a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for adoptive parents.
- Foster Care Block Grant: Increased by $36.3 million to $418.8 million. Fully implementing the October 2006 COLA for foster care providers and to support an April 2007 COLA.
- Enhanced Support for Foster Care Providers: $9.4 million in State funding to pay a portion of the costs of reimbursing foster care providers up to the maximum allowable State rate.
- Increased Support for Home Visiting: Increases the Healthy Families New York Home Visiting Program by $200,000, bringing total funding to $25.2 million, including $21.6 million in TANF funding and $3.6 million in General Fund support.
- Advantage Schools: Increases TANF funding for Advantage After-School programs by $700,000, for a total of $28.2 million.
- Enhanced Support for Child Advocacy Centers: $6.3 million for Child Advocacy Centers and Multi-Disciplinary Teams.
- Child Care Block Grant: funded at $533 million (Federal, State, local funds), not counting any transfers from the FFFS, is broken down as follows: $315 million Federal dollars; $68 million local MOE funding; $140 million General Revenue; $6.35 million for migrant workers ($4.6 million of which was previously transferred in from Agriculture and Markets); $3.4 million for SUNY/CUNY.
New Wrinkle in Child Welfare Funding
Effective January 1, 2008, counties will be required to provide preventive services through performance-based contracts under the Executive Budget proposal. Counties will be required to implement these performance or outcome based provisions (outlined in subsequent regulations) for preventive services. Should the county fail to comply with the new requirements, OCFS will have the authority to limit state reimbursement, from expenditures from October 1, 2005-September 30, 2006 through March 31, 2007. The goal of this initiative is for counties to limit their investments to proven programs.
Flexible Fund for Family Services (FFFS)
The Flexible Fund for Family Services (FFFS) was preserved with a slight increase. The total appropriation is $1.008 billion, which reflects a $4 million increase from the previous year. Specific carve-outs this year include:
- $35 million for Summer Youth Employment; and
- $3 million for non-residential domestic violence.
The Governor estimates that there is a positive $3.7 million impact to counties and NYC for carving out these two items. There is no carve-out for Child Care.
FFFS spending is set forth in the Governor’s Article VII language. Similar to last year, a performance plan must be submitted by the local department of social services to the State. OTDA and OCFS are still working on the methodology for the distribution of these funds.
Summer Youth Employment Funding Flexibility
The Governor has earmarked $35 million for the Summer Youth Employment program. There is language that delineates if a county chooses to not use all of the funds for costs of the Summer Youth program, that money may be transferred to the credit of the county's allocation of the FFFS; provided, however, that a minimum of $32 million is spent.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA)
$5.2 billion is recommended from all funding sources in 2007-08 to support State Operations and Aid to Localities programs. The breakdown is as follows:
- $1.3 billion for the payment of public assistance benefits;
- $677 million for the payment of SSI benefits;
- $460 million for State Operations;
- $370 million for Food Stamp Administration; and
- $142 million for Child Support Enforcement.
Public Health
Contact: Jessica Morelli
The Executive Budget preserves the General Public Health Works Program (Article 6 funding) at prior levels, $220 million to reimburse counties for core and optional public health services at a rate of 36 percent.
Also included in the budget proposal for public health:
- an increase in emergency reserve funding from $20 million to $40 million, specifically for any public health emergencies;
- $29 million to stockpile medications and supplies to be used in the event of a pandemic outbreak, such as the avian flu;
- $25 million in new funding for various initiatives, to enhance vital records, promote universal prenatal care and postpartum home visitation, expand access to cervical cancer vaccine, prevent childhood lead poisoning, require reporting of child’s Body Mass Index (BMI) on school physical form, promote healthy lifestyles, improvements in breast imaging interpretation, colorectal screenings and the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products;
- Each Body Mass Index (BMI) certificate will state the student’s BMI and weight status category. The Commissioner of Health is charged with defining weight status categories;
- $4.3 million in support of the State’s seventeen Perinatal Centers for newborns and their mothers;
- $2.6 million in new funding for education, training and outreach activities related to emergency contraception;
- $27 million continued in funding that supports various programs such as: funding for AIDS services, family planning, diabetes prevention, school-based health centers, rape crisis centers, breast cancer services, Alzheimer’s assistance and consumer assistance for Medicare Part D;
- $4.75 million for adult home residents, including vocational and educational training, recreational activities, independent living skills, as well as the general maintenance and upkeep of the homes;
- $5.25 million in the Office of Mental Health for enhanced care coordination and more than 3,500 case management slots for mentally ill residents of adult homes.
Children with Special Needs
Contact: Jessica Morelli
Preschool Special Education Program
The Governor has proposed the creation of a Temporary Pre-School Taskforce, to be chaired by the commissioner of education or his designee. The Taskforce will study and submit recommendations related to:
- the appropriate relationship between preschool special education and other early childhood and special education programs; make recommendations on approaches to improve transition from the EI system to preschool special education and from preschool special education to school-age special education and on ways to enhance delivery of special education programs and services to children attending universal pre-k or other publicly-funded pre-k programs in the least restrictive environment;
- study the current rate-setting methodology for preschool special education programs and services and make recommendations for improvement; and
- conduct a comparative study of NY and other states’ delivery of preschool services, financing approaches and other best practices.
The seventeen members of the taskforce will include representatives of the departments of Education and Health, Division of the Budget, Council on Children and Families, the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, school districts, counties and preschool special education providers. Four representatives of counties are to be appointed by the governor, including at least two from candidates nominated by NYSAC.
The Taskforce must reach its conclusions on or before November 15, 2007 and report to the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Speaker, Director of the Budget and the Board of Regents on the taskforce’s conclusions and recommendations.
Early Intervention
The Executive Budget seeks to improve the state audit capabilities within the Early Intervention (EI) Program by adding five new audit staff, and attempts to improve third party health insurance collections by proposing stricter requirements on insurance carriers to reimburse for EI costs. Reimbursement for an EI program service, which is a covered service under the policy or contract, will be at rates established by the state Health commissioner. In addition, coverage will not be denied based on:
- the location where services are provided;
- the duration of the child’s condition and/or that the child’s condition is not amenable to significant improvement within a certain period of time as specified in the policy; or
- that the provider of services is not a participating provider in the insurer’s network.
Visit limitations will continue to apply to EI services; however, any visits used for EI program services won’t reduce the number of visits otherwise available. Also, upon the insurer’s receipt of written notice from a county, the insurer will be required to provide the county with information on the extent of the benefits available to an insurer under that policy. No insurer, including an HMO, will be able to refuse to renew an accident and health insurance policy or contract or refuse to renew an accident and health insurance policy or contract solely because the applicant or insured is receiving EI services.
The Governor is also proposing a new provider application and fee structure. Applicants must apply to the department or Education Commissioner for a five year approval period. Re-application after the five years is necessary. Fees are as follows: $125 for individual providers and $225 for agency providers. This fee structure will offset Department of Health administrative costs. Overall, it is expected to yield $2.3 million statewide ($800,000 for New York City and $1.5 million for counties).
Aid to Local Governments & Mandate Relief Measures
Contact: Pete Savage
Aid to Municipalities (AIM), also known as revenue sharing, was restructured in the Executive Budget Proposal to provide increased financial assistance to targeted distressed municipalities. To facilitate this restructuring, AIM funding was eliminated for 81 towns and villages throughout the State, including a significant cut of over $328 million in revenue sharing to the City of New York.
The proposed budget continues funding for the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Program at 2006-2007 levels ($25 million). Local matching funds equal to 10 percent of the total approved project costs will be required for accepted grant proposals.
Under Governor Spitzer’s plan, the program will no longer allocate specific outlays for individual awards categories, as in the two past grant cycles, but will this year provide grants of up to $200,000 per municipality with priority given to initiatives that include:
- distressed municipalities,
- consolidations or mergers of municipalities,
- shared services involving school districts,
- shared highway services,
- shared health insurance, and
- countywide shared services programs.
A new $10 million consolidation incentive aid would be created under SMSI that provides a recurring 25 percent AIM increase to municipalities that merge or consolidate beginning in 2007-08.
The budget also calls for the Department of Civil Service to develop a new employee health insurance plan, similar to the Empire Plan, which will be made available to local governments.
The budget amends State Finance Law to limit eligibility for General Fund aid to municipalities that host a video lottery gaming facility. New York City will be excluded from eligibility effective in the 2007-08 State fiscal year. Beginning fiscal year 2008-09, this aid will be provided only to high need municipalities, as measured by poverty rates.
This will mean a $3.4 million dollar loss for counties that host VLT facilities in the 2008-09 fiscal year. The following chart outlines this proposal’s impact on counties and the City of New York.
Gaming Facility |
Host Municipality |
2007-08 Aid (Original Est.) |
2007-08 Aid (Revised Est.) |
2008-09 Aid (Estimate) |
Aqueduct |
City of New York |
$20,000,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
Batavia Downs |
Genesee County |
$310,729 |
$219,854 |
$0 |
Fairgrounds |
Erie County |
$358,446 |
$365,962 |
$0 |
Finger Lakes |
Ontario County |
$750,592 |
$881,575 |
$0 |
Monticello |
Sullivan County |
$334,994 |
$565,835 |
$412,512 |
Saratoga |
Saratoga County |
$861,882 |
$1,230,238 |
$0 |
Vernon Downs |
Oneida County |
$233,255 |
$309,930 |
$0 |
Tioga Downs |
Tioga County |
$188,880 |
$327,350 |
$0 |
The budget calls for the reform of the WICKS law requirements by increasing the bidding threshold to $1 million for upstate projects and $2 million for New York City projects. Additionally, the proposed plan calls for the new threshold to be adjusted annually based on the Producer Price Index for Non-residential buildings.
Although NYSAC supports this proposed change, a recent NYSAC survey has indicated that upstate public works projects are currently averaging a cost of between $2 and $5 million. Counties would be better served if the WICKS threshold were increased to between $2 and $5 million and specific more costly projects, such as county correctional facilities or large scale environmental projects, were exempted from the WICKS law entirely.
The budget proposal expands local government procurement options by allowing municipalities to consider the "best value" versus the lowest bid and to purchase information technology products and services through cooperative purchasing under federal GSA contracts. The proposal also increases the competitive bidding threshold for commodities and public works projects to $50,000 for purchase contracts involving more than $20,000 in expenditures.
The proposal amends the collateral source offset rules for damage awards in personal injury and wrongful death actions to allow judgment awards against local governments and the State to be offset by both past and future compensation from collateral sources, as is currently done in actions against private defendants.
Local Taxes and Fees
Contact: Ken Crannell
While the Executive Budget includes no new tax increases, measures are included to maximize tax collections through the closure of corporate tax loopholes and enforcement. Two items that benefit counties include the taxing of the full cost of remote hotel bookings and the enforcement of the collection of sales tax on tribal and Indian sales of goods and services to non-tribal members.
In recent years a number of travel companies have contracted with New York hotel and motel operators to allow consumers to book accommodations through the websites and toll-free numbers. These travel companies typically pay the operator of the hotel a discounted amount for the rental of the room, plus the sales tax on that amount. The travel companies then charge their customers an amount for the hotel room that generally exceeds the hotel’s charge to the travel company, including an amount labeled as a service fee or tax recovery charge. Under current law the travel companies are required to pay tax on the rent they pay the hotel operators but are not required to collect sales tax on their charges to customers because they do not qualify as operators of hotels under the Tax Law. Thus, the travel companies’ markup of the cost of the New York hotel rooms goes untaxed, giving the travel companies an advantage over conventional hotels in booking hotel rooms.
The Executive Budget Proposal seeks to remedy this discrepancy by:
- clarifying that the contractual right of a travel company to book a hotel room constitutes occupancy of a hotel room and is subject to sales tax,
- amending the New York City Administrative Code to conform the city’s hotel room occupancy tax to the bill’s changes in the State’s sales tax on hotel occupancy, and
- authorizing other municipalities, including 42 counties that have an existing local occupancy tax to amend their local laws to conform to these new standards.
In response to recent decisions made by the United States Supreme Court, the Governor's Executive Budget proposal authorizes the Department of Taxation and Finance to begin enforcing the collection of sales tax on tribal and Indian sales of goods and services to non-tribal members. The enforcement of these existing statutes is expected to increase sales tax receipts for counties that have Indian Reservations within their boundaries. The budget proposal provides Oneida & Madison counties with $2 million interim financial assistance related to settlement of existing Native American land claims.
Transportation
Contact: Pete Savage
The budget continues the funding of the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) and Marchiselli programs and increases the bond cap for local highway and bridge service contract bonds issued by the Thruway Authority by $20 million to accommodate last year’s one-time increase in the CHIPs Program. For individual county or town CHIPs funding estimates, please contact the NYSAC offices.
The proposed budget also makes permanent the single audit process for State transportation assistance to municipalities and public authorities.
Environment
Contact: Pete Savage
The Executive Budget Proposal expands the State’s returnable container act to include non-carbonated beverage containers. The budget changes the existing “bottle bill” in several ways including:
- requiring payment by deposit initiators (generally, manufacturers or distributors) of unclaimed deposits to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Currently these funds are kept by the beverage distributors; and
- providing financial incentives to municipalities, not-for-profit organizations and businesses to augment container recycling efforts. NYSAC has supported this proposal in the past based on this amendment.
Higher Education
Contact: Jeff Osinski
The Executive Budget increases base aid to CUNY and SUNY Community Colleges by $100 per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) student, bringing state base aid to community colleges to $2,625 per FTE.
The proposal also calls for both SUNY and CUNY to develop a 5 year Capital Plan for 2008-09. In the interim the Executive Budget increases CUNY capital projects by $265.8 million and raises the bond cap for CUNY by $266 million to supplement the existing capital plan of CUNY.
SUNY capital projects are increased by $379.7 million for 2007-08 and its bond ceiling is raised to accommodate this interim increase until the SUNY 5-year capital plan is developed for 2008-09. Cornell Cooperative Extension is allocated $3.7 million.
Economic Development
Contact: Jeff Osinski
The Executive Budget proposal maintains the current 10 regional office structure of the Department of Economic Development. The Buffalo Regional Office will be expanded to serve as the Office of the Upstate Economic Development Czar, one of two Co-Chairs of the Empire State Development Corporation, specifically to oversee the revitalization of the Upstate Economy.
The proposal calls for the creation of a new $300 million New Investment and Job Creation Program to stimulate new business development around the state. The Executive Budget expands the Empire State Development Fund to $40 million, and increase of $7 million, but eliminates the Jobs Now program. The proposal also contains a $300 million appropriation for a new international computer chip research and development center. Funding for NYSTAR’s Center of Excellence Program is maintained at $15 million and Technology Development Organization matching grants are allocated at $1.5 million.
The Executive Budget increases funding for the I Love New York Tourism promotion program by $5 million to $19 million and allocates $5.3 million to the tourism matching grant program.
The Budget maintains the Empire Zone Program and anticipates the creation of 3 new zones in Putnam, Yates & Hamilton counties to establish a zone in each of New York’s 62 counties. The budget does, however, eliminate state funding for local zone administration.
Public Protection
Contact: Adriano Bongiorno
Judges and justices of the Unified Court System will receive a salary increase, retroactive to April 1, 2005. Additionally, the proposal builds in automatic inflationary pay increases on an ongoing basis. Under current state law, judicial salaries are statutorily tied to those of County District Attorney’s and the five County Clerks of the City of New York. Unlike past judicial pay increases, where state funding was provided to offset the impact of this mandate on current county budgets, the Governor’s budget does not provide the resources to hold counties harmless.
The Executive Budget includes a program designed to improve the parole violation process. This includes a plan to allow the Department of Correctional Services to enter into agreements with counties to incarcerate certain alleged parole violators whose cases have not yet been decided at a final revocation hearing. Currently, these alleged parole violators are housed in local jails pending revocation hearings. Existing Correction Law allows an alleged parole violator to demand the hearing in the county in which an arrest is made. This results in an additional cost burden on localities. In an effort to reduce this cost burden while ensuring that an alleged parole violator’s rights are not violated, DOCS has agreed to house alleged parole violators pending a revocation hearing, provided that the county where the arrest is made has video teleconferencing capabilities.
To further improve the parole violation process, the Board of Parole will be considering amendments to its rules and regulations that will give Administrative Law Judges more flexibility in dealing with parole violators, including reducing some time assessments for certain parole violators, based on a recommendation submitted by a supervising parole officer. Parole violators who are being held on local charges, who are in a methadone / substance abuse program, or are delinquent, will not be eligible for this program.
The Budget also creates a commission to evaluate the State Prison System and make recommendations regarding the closure of specific State correctional facilities. Counties across the State have struggled with escalating population driven costs in their county jails in large part due to the significant number of state parole violators housed in county jails. The state policies that have lead to these prison reductions have created an undue hardship on counties by requiring them to house state prisoners, including state parole violators and “state ready” prisoners, without providing adequate compensation for these services.
Local probation aid continues at current levels. The Executive Budget provides $3.3 million for intensive supervision of sex offenders. This funding will come from the State General Fund and will be distributed proportionately based on the number of registered sex offenders under supervision in that locality.
In addition, the budget proposes $2 million dollars for services and expenses of various crime fighting initiatives, specifically for gang violence and gun violence in upstate communities where violent crime is on the rise. This funding will be distributed through a competitive process.
The Executive Budget proposes a $700,000 reduction in the High Impact Incarceration Program for the following counties: Monroe, Onondaga, Schenectady, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau. These funds will be awarded on a competitive basis and shall be available for up to 100 percent of program costs.
NYSAC is completing its review and will present a full analysis of the 2007-08 Executive Budget during an Internet based “Webinar” on February 9th from 11:00 to 12:30 pm. For more information about the budget presentation or specific budget measures, please contact the NYSAC offices.
Next week
- The Senate and Assembly will be in Session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
- NYSAC will provide budget testimony before the Joint Legislative Hearing of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees on Monday, February 5th in Albany.
- On Wednesday, Feb 7th NYSAC will testify before the Senate Committee on Local Government.
