It did not come as a surprise when Andrew Cuomo won last week”™s gubernatorial election. But it was at least some surprise when weeks before the election, the Business Council of New York State for the first time in its 30-year history endorsed any candidate, and it was Democrat Cuomo.
So what kind of business policies can be expected from the new governor?
Rockland Business Association President Al Samuels is among those who believe Cuomo will favor pro-business policies, because he understands what is at stake.
He said business leaders in Rockland County who heard Cuomo during the campaign “were surprised to hear business-friendly ideas from a Democrat,” Samuels said. “The things he said showed understanding for concerns we have.”
Specifically, he said, Cuomo has expressed support for consolidating government across the board, “not just cutting costs, but cutting factors that cause taxes to rise,” as Samuels described it. Cuomo has also vowed to get tough on labor unions and address concerns about public pensions.
Cuomo will also revamp the state”™s economic development program “away from centralization,” Samuels said. “He believes regions should have more control over economic development.”
The state Business Council is also expressing support for that provision of Cuomo”™s New York Agenda that would revamp economic development to focus efforts on “regional business clusters, ” as it is termed in the initiative.  Cuomo would also provide up to $3,000 in tax credit to business for each unemployed worker a business hires.
John D”™Ambrosio, president and CEO of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, said “hope springs eternal” whenever someone new is elected.
“The new governor, if he can do anything to fix the dysfunction in Albany, he will  provide a great service to the business community,” D”™Ambrosio said.?“I think the region will do well under Cuomo, he has ties to the region,” he said. Cuomo”™ s opposition to the MTA payroll tax “is a breath of fresh air.”  ?“With the Business Council endorsing Cuomo before the election, which to me was kind of a surprise, we have the opportunity  to support some serious changes in Albany,” D”™Ambrosio said. “I think he plans to go back to Albany in his new role to effect change. And if he can”™t effect change, businesses will continue to leave the state in droves.”
Cuomo has promised a cap on state spending, a property tax cap and the freezing of salaries of public employees as part of a one-year emergency fiscal plan. In the New York Agenda, Cuomo coupled those promises with a pledge for no increases in corporate, personal or sales taxes.
“A cap is the first step in ultimately providing property tax relief,” said Kenneth Adams, president of the Business Council, in originally endorsing Cuomo. “A cap will force the discipline to reduce state spending to sustainable levels.”
“To do that, we must right-size state and local governments and make our schools and local services more efficient,” Adams said.
Cuomo has pledged to right-size state government, noting there are currently more than 1,000 state agencies, authorities and commissions, and saying he would reduce that number by 20 percent. He also pledged to foster consolidation of services among the state”™s 10,000 local governments.
The Business Council also supports proposals for workers”™ compensation reforms and pledges to enact a permanent economic development power program to offset New York”™s high energy costs for energy intensive businesses. The state has not had such a program since Title X expired several years ago.Â
Some business leaders are less certain of Cuomo.
“I don”™t know what to expect for Mr. Cuomo, and I think we must take a wait-and-see attitude,” said Charles North, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I”™m not yet ready to be positive or negative ,but the state has been rather unfriendly to business over the last several years.”
North said that to be business friendly, Cuomo should work to repeal the MTA tax and said he will start to campaign with the new leader immediately. “My letter to him is already written,” North said.
North said Cuomo must improve state economic development efforts “to lure business back into what was once the Empire State.”
Pete Bardunias, Â president and CEO of The Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, echoed that sentiment.
It will be “up to the business community to make sure” the new governor pursues business-friendly policies.
“It”™s pretty much a simple formula,” Bardunias said, calling for reductions of “taxes and the regulatory burden. We can”™t keep creating policies that discourage business in New York state.”
