Critics point to lack of mandate relief
In the 12 months since signing a bill legalizing gay marriage in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has taken on somewhat of an iconic status in the eyes of many New Yorkers.
While national politicians flounder, Cuomo”™s approval rating among voters has hovered around 70 percent for months.
However, local business leaders and elected officials are quietly starting to question whether Cuomo has lost his grip on the state Legislature.
Despite repeated urging from business organizations, county executives, mayors and town and village supervisors, little has been done in the way of achieving immediate mandate relief for municipalities that are struggling to maintain services in the face of the state”™s 2 percent tax cap.
Deal-making has become Cuomo”™s forte, with an 11th-hour tax overhaul enacted last December followed by a sweeping agreement between Republicans in the state Senate and Democrats in the Assembly that involved a new Tier VI pension system, an amendment to legalize gambling in New York state and new district maps.
To the dismay of municipal officials, no deal on mandate relief materialized.
While the state will absorb increases in the portion of the state”™s Medicaid program that is paid for by counties, little else was done in the way of immediate relief, said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.
“I think the governor has led. I think he can be bolder on what he needs to do, especially with respect to pension reforms and certainly with mandate relief,” Astorino said, warning that the state”™s municipalities are moving dangerously toward bankruptcy.
As proof, he said, one need look no further than the city of Yonkers, whose budget was rejected by the state Comptroller”™s office June 27. The city had until July 1, when its 2012 fiscal year began, to formulate a new budget and submit it to the Comptroller for approval.
“The property tax cap was great politics, but right now it”™s an incomplete without the accompanying mandate relief,” he said.
Assemblyman Robert Castelli, a Goldens Bridge Republican and staunch Cuomo supporter, applauded the Legislature for passing an on-time budget, pension reforms and the December tax overhaul, but said more must be done in the areas of mandate relief and economic development.
“By and large, I”™m very pleased with what we got done. Kudos to the governor,” Castelli said. “But we”™ve got to stimulate this economy ”¦ I think there”™s a lot more to be done in that regard.”
In his state of the state address marking the beginning of the 2012 legislative session, Cuomo tabbed economic development as his top priority.
The state budget calls for a second round of economic development awards, but several observers pointed out that many of his proposals floundered, have experienced setbacks, or won”™t be fully realized for years, if not decades.
Notably, plans for a $4 billion convention center in Queens that was to be built by Genting Group and would have employed tens of thousands of workers at no cost to the state were scrapped.
In addition, while the Tappan Zee Bridge project, a centerpiece of Cuomo”™s infrastructure proposals, remains on schedule, the state”™s December request to apply for a $2 billion, long-term, low-interest federal transportation loan was declined.
Marissa Brett, executive director of economic development for the Westchester County Association, said Cuomo”™s call for a statewide energy highway and the passage of a new pension tier represent steps in the right direction, but said the state won”™t see the benefits of either for years, if not decades, to come.
“I think that this administration has done a fantastic job in terms of marketing the state of New York,” Brett said. “What we really need to see and where the jury is still out is, ”˜Do we have the policies and everything in place to truly attract businesses and keep them here?”
John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO of the Business Council of Westchester, said the passage of a second consecutive on-time budget shouldn”™t be overlooked.
“I was in the Assembly for 12 years,” he said. “In 12 years, I couldn”™t tell my family when I was coming home and when the legislative session was going to end, and that was no way to run a state government ”¦ I think there is a functioning process (in Albany) that is only going to help the state in the long run.”