“Gov. Hochul’s budget proposal certainly has items I can work with her on, including an increase in funding for mental health services. With that said, her total proposal once again exceeds $200 billion in spending. I know we have become numb to these figures in New York, but this is a massive price tag for a state that already has the highest tax burden in the nation.

“Here in Staten Island, we like to practice fiscal responsibility, a concept that I look forward to reintroducing to my colleagues in Albany during the negotiation process.”