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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP-125AD, Tompkins/Cortland) announced that the Assembly's one-house budget proposal contains a significant funding increase for municipalities, providing a 12% increase above the amount included in the Governor's Executive Budget. Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) is an important source of funding for cities, towns, and villages across New York State, many of which are still struggling to recover from the effects of the Great Recession.

"We haven't seen an increase in AIM funding since 2008," said Lifton, "and it hasn't kept pace with inflation, which means that cities, towns and villages are now receiving less aid from the state than they did a decade ago. In fact, a study by the Fiscal Policy Institute found that over the past 30 years AIM funding has eroded by 75 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars."

"Many of these municipalities were hard hit by a perfect storm of the financial recession, unfunded mandates, increasing labor costs, a high proportion of tax exempt property, and the property tax cap," Lifton continued. "We must reverse this trend so that municipalities can continue to provide critical services and offer relief to residents and homeowners struggling with a high property tax burden."

The Governor's Executive Budget does not provide an increase in AIM funding this year. Under the Assembly's one-house budget proposal, AIM founding would be increased by $100 million or 12% above the Governor's Executive Budget. The City of Cortland would receive $2, 442, 887 in AIM funding, while the City of Ithaca would receive $3,159, 497. This is an increase above the Governor's Executive Proposal of $424, 557 and $549,099 respectively.

"I'm very pleased that this funding was included in the Assembly's one-house budget proposal," said Lifton. "A funding increase on AIM is long overdue. I urge the State Senate and the Governor to support it."

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