Last night New York State Senator (R) James Seward shared his insights about the Governor's spending and how Albany policies affect local government with Otsego County Board members.  According the AllOTSEGO, Seward shared the following information with the board:

• The state Legislature has reduced AIM funding (Aid & Incentives to Municipalities) to the state’s 1,326  towns and villages by $59 million.  Every municipality in Otsego County, except the villages of Laurens and Otego, will feel the cut.  For Otsego County, that will take the form of a $331,320 withholding of sales tax revenues by the state Comptroller’s Office.

• Changes in voting – early voting up to 10 days before elections, and electronic poll books, among other measures – are being supported with a $25 million state allocation to counties.   The whole program, however, will cost $175 million.  “There’s quite a gap there,” Seward said.

• CHIPS money to local highway departments (Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funds) for road maintenance was almost cut by $69 million, only being restored at the last minute as legislators were “on the way out the door.”

The main message Seward hit home was that Otsego County should get ready to feel the sting of state spending as Albany turns to county governments to close the state budget gap.

For more on this story provided in partnership with AllOTSEGO, click here.

 

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