Archive: Opinions

Comptroller DiNapoliThe Governor and Legislature have enacted a budget that begins to align recurring spending and recurring revenue, and they did it on time.  This budget is also significant for what it does not do.  It does not rely heavily on new taxes, fees or one-shot revenues. And it does not borrow money to pay for operating expenses. These are welcome changes from the short-term fixes and budget gimmicks of the past.

Addressing a $10 billion deficit will not come without pain. Many school districts and health care providers face a formidable challenge to absorb significant cuts in funding. When school districts present voters with their proposed budgets in May, we will start to see the impact of these cuts at the local level. In addition, the cuts in health care must be managed to minimize the impact on those most in need of care.

Now comes the hard part. The state, local governments and school districts must now not only do more with less but do it better as well. All of us in government have to watch tax dollars and monitor spending very closely.

My office will begin its comprehensive review of the budget and will issue a report soon after the Financial Plan is released by the Division of the Budget.

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