- By Office of Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton
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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP-125AD, Tompkins/Cortland) announced last Friday some details of the Assembly's one-house budget resolution, praising the increased funding for education, which is $1.1B over the Governor's Executive Proposal. The Assembly budget resolution provides $25.4 billion in School Aid, an increase of $2.1 billion, or 9.2 percent, over the 2015-2016 School Year. This increase includes $1.1 billion in Foundation Aid and $434 million to restore the GEA, both of which have left schools underfunded and school districts and taxpayers overburdened."I'm very pleased to have pushed for this Assembly budget resolution with a significant increase in Foundation Aid, part of a four-year phase-in that represents a signficiant committement towards fulfilling the state's promise of a sound, basic education for every child," said Lifton. "We owe our schools $4.4 billion in Foundation Aid, which is allotted according to a formula that takes into account local property wealth, poverty, English Language Learners (ELL), and special needs students. I also argued strongly in the Assembly for an end to the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). It was meant as a temporary measure to make up for budget shortfalls caused by the Great Recession, but with the economy on the upswing, it's time for significant restorations. This is critical funding that will ensure that our schools have the resources they need to give children the quality education they deserve."
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced Last Friday $7,296,944 in funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support 21 health centers in New York to improve and expand the delivery of substance abuse services in health centers, with a specific focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations.
As part of the Annual Reassessment Program, all parcels were reviewed for the 2016 roll year and Preliminary Assessment Change Notices will be mailed to 10,376 property owners. This consists of 485 decreases in assessed value and 9,891 increases in assessed value. The total value of the county has increased $500,008,626.
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP-125AD, Tompkins/Cortland) announced Wednesday that she has again been appointed to the Assembly budget conference committee on Education. This committee met today for the first time with the Senate budget conference committee on Education in an open, public meeting to begin to reconcile the differences between the Assembly and the Senate one-house budget proposals, which were passed on Monday of this week.
Farmers work long days, often seven days a week. So how do you get them to participate on a committee? Hold meetings in the heart of farm country, early Monday morning at a diner. That is what the newly formed Lansing Agriculture Committee is doing. Committee Chair Connie Wilcox says the committee has already identified priorities in its first two meetings, based on the Agriculture And Farmland Protection Plan that was accepted by the Town Board last September. The committee will flesh out the recommendations included in the plan, make recommendations to the Town Board and pursue its own initiatives. Wilcox says the Town's 'Right To Farm' law and community outreach are the first initiatives the committee will tackle.
The NY State Senate and Assembly are in final negotiations for the state's 2016-2017 budget, which includes proposals for improved funding for TCAT and other underfunded transit agencies across the state that are contending with aging fleets and lack of predictable resources to adequately meet passenger demand.
Tom Reed is introducing a new bill which offers a tax credit for caregivers. 
Expect traffic delays on your way to the mall this summer. Village of Lansing Mayor Donald Hartill says that the Village portion of Triphammer Road will be entirely repaved before next fall. The project will replace 54,730 square yards of pavement on the thoroughfare that includes access to the Shops at Ithaca Mall, Cayuga Mall and Triphammer Marketplace, as well as scores of businesses along Triphammer Road between the Cayuga Heights and Town of Lansing borders.
Village of Lansing officials are considering exceeding the state-imposed tax cap this year with an up to 12.68% rise in the village tax levy. The proposed levy for next fiscal year's $3,113,552 budget is $513,086, up from $455,341 last year. The actual budget, if passed will be 24.24% higher than last year's budget, largely because of road projects. Mayor Donald Hartill said Monday the adjustment is necessary in order to adequately fund reserves, but says the actual dollar impact to taxpayers will be minimal. For taxpayers that will mean about $1.20 per thousand dollars of assessed property value, instead of the 99 cents collected last year.
New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio, along with his Senate Republican colleagues, today unveiled the first part of their one-house budget proposal that creates a broad-based tax cut plan to provide billions of dollars in tax relief to the middle class, seniors, and small businesses. The plan creates a new 25 percent rate reduction for middle class taxpayers, new tax savings to prevent seniors from leaving New York, and significant tax cuts for small businesses, farms, and other job creators.
Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport today announced that the airport must close its runway for two weeks in July for runway resurfacing.