Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced the passage of the SFY 2013-14 Budget, which includes $3.7 billion in funding for municipal roads and bridge projects and $159 million in additional funding to help local governments provide services and pay for infrastructure repairs and improvements.

"Even though this is virtually another flat budget during difficult economic times, the Assembly Majority advocated successfully for funding to help local governments update, improve and maintain their infrastructure," said Silver. "It also provides state aid to help municipalities provide services, which are essential to a community's ability to grow their businesses, create jobs and maintain a good quality of life for their residents."

"Working within the limitations of a slowly recovering economy, this budget makes important funding commitments to the state's transportation infrastructure, the backbone of our economy," said Transportation Committee Chair David Gantt. "Not only will these funds ensure that our highways, roads and bridges are in good repair and safe for the traveling public, but they also will help spur employment within the construction and transportation industries."

"The funding in this budget will assist the state's local governments with improving and keeping in good repair their water and sewer lines, buildings and roadways,"said Local Governments Committee Chair William Magnarelli. "Through the Assembly's efforts during the budget negotiations, we also were able to provide funds for municipal aid to help localities pay for and deliver the services their taxpayers depend on and deserve,"said Magnarelli.

The Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), which many municipalities throughout the state rely on to help finance improvements to their transportation infrastructure, received a $75 million increase above the Executive's budget, a 21 percent increase from the previous year, for a total appropriation amount of $438 million.

The budget will provide $3.7 billion for the Department of Transportation capital plan, which includes funding commitments to the following transportation infrastructure initiatives:

• $1.9 billion for core road and bridge programs;
• $155 million to accelerate Department of Transportation (DOT) projects of regional significance;
• $14 million in total state funding for aviation projects, $10 million more than the Executive's budget; and
• $10 million in additional freight-rail funding, including funds to upgrade equipment owned by the Long Island Railroad to meet higher emission standards, for a total rail project appropriation of $20 million.

Within the budget is also a commitment from DOT to the Legislature to use $16 million from the State Dedicated Fund to support non-MTA downstate suburban and upstate public transportation capital investments. Under this agreement, the funds will be available for these investments 45 days after the budget's enactment.

The $159 million in additional funding for Municipal Aid and Local Medicaid programs will provide:

• $1.5 million to all villages, a 0.79 percent increase;
• $123,000 to four new villages: $75,000 to Mastic Beach; $27,000 to Woodbury, $19,000 to South Blooming Grove; and $2,000 to Sagaponack;
• $107 million to accelerate the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages program, a federal matching fund program to help state and counties pay for social service and medical care and medical insurance costs, thereby reducing the local share of Medicaid this year instead of 2014 as called for by the law; and
• $27.2 million for municipalities with Video Lottery Gaming Facilities. Local governments outside of Yonkers, which will receive $19.6 million, will be provided an increase of $1.4 million in state aid (see attached for funding breakdowns by municipality).

This financial plan for SFY 2013-14 also will provide $385 million for local government capital improvement projects to fund such municipal infrastructure initiatives as water and sewer lines, roads, bridges and other construction.

In addition, to address the shortfalls in real property tax revenues resulting from non-payment of property taxes by the Oneida Indian Nation, the budget increases the payment to Madison and Oneida Counties from $1.96 million to $3 million.

Click here to view Aid to Municipalities with Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) Facilities