“New Yorkers have been consistently clear that public safety and affordability are their greatest concerns. It is frustrating that the proposal we deliberated on today did nothing to address either of these concerns.

“This proposal rejected Governor Hochul’s half step attempt to fix the disastrous cashless bail system that is failing New Yorkers every single day. We simply cannot continue to ignore the realities of a catch and release system that protects criminals and prevents police from keeping our communities safe. It will be a complete failure to approve this proposal without addressing the root concern of nine out of ten New Yorkers.

“When it comes to infrastructure, Assembly Majority lawmakers refused to increase the allocation to our Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) despite inflation causing the cost of paving local roads to cost 25 percent more.

“To make matters worse, Assembly Majority lawmakers are proposing to raise taxes across the board while continuing to increase spending at an alarming rate. Having the experience of crafting budgets as a Town Supervisor, I know the absolute last thing we should be considering is raising taxes on families and businesses while inflation and high gas prices continue to decimate our economy. We have led the nation in outward migration and this proposal will guarantee this trend continues.

“Despite my strong opposition to this proposal as a whole, I was relieved to see Gov. Hochul’s local zoning takeover was rejected which is a tremendous victory for the Hudson Valley. I applaud the strong support for local public schools and restoring devastating cuts to our local libraries. With the budget deadline of April 1^st looming I will continue to be a strong advocate for the priorities of the Hudson Valley and the 94^th District.”