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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By District 89 Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. April 2, 2004: As a candidate for the Assembly, I was an outspoken advocate for budget reform. I am pleased to announce that the Assembly and Senate members of a bipartisan conference committee have come to an agreement on a package of budget reforms that will help ensure fair, on-time state budgets that meet the needs of Westchester County by employing better long-term and annual planning, closer oversight of spending, and more public input.
As a candidate for the Assembly, I was an outspoken advocate for budget reform. I am pleased to announce that the Assembly and Senate members of a bipartisan conference committee have come to an agreement on a package of budget reforms that will help ensure fair, on-time state budgets that meet the needs of Westchester County by employing better long-term and annual planning, closer oversight of spending, and more public input.
School districts in Westchester County will benefit greatly from these reforms. The plan includes the Assembly’s proposal to require a two year appropriation for education aid – providing schools with information they need to plan ahead and avoid property tax increases. It also creates an education reserve fund in the state constitution to ensure sufficient funds exist for the payment of aid in May and June of each year.
The reform package provides the Legislature with more accurate revenue forecasts and gives additional time to review the details of the governor’s budget proposal so legislators can make better decisions by:
· implementing an “enhanced fast start plan,” a discussion between the governor and Legislature on revenue forecasts and projected expenses that would begin on November 15;
· creating a nonpartisan independent budget office to provide objective analyses of state revenues that can be used to make decisions in a timely manner – without the time consuming debate that often occurs;
· requiring the governor to submit his budget by January 15 (February 1 for a newly-elected governor);
· shortening the amendment period from 30 to 21 days to allow time for legislative review; and
· adding Health Care Reform Act programs like Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus into the overall state budget.
I have consistently supported moving the start of the state’s fiscal year from April 1 to May 1, and continuing government operations through a contingency budget if a new budget is not passed on time – two ideas that have been incorporated into the conference committee’s reform plan. By pushing back the budget deadline, we will be able to give different organizations across the state a more reliable way to plan their budgets. And by creating an independent budget office, we take away one of the biggest sources of partisan disagreement.
The package would also require a three-year projection by the governor and Legislature of the financial impact of any changes to the executive budget to provide better long-term planning. To put more money away in “rainy day” funds, the plan would create a reserve fund equal to 5 percent of all state funds to cushion against economic downturns, revenue shortfalls and natural disasters.
I commend the bipartisan conference committee for the package of budget reforms they’ve put forth. This is a good beginning, but there is much more work to be done to reform state government. These initiatives will ensure better planning and better financial forecasts, enabling the Legislature to enact better budgets. I hope the governor will endorse these reforms as we offer them to the voters of our state to ratify.
