NYSSA ASKS GOVERNOR PATERSON TO RETURN LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDS

The Division of Budget is at it again.  Recently it was learned that the snowmobile law enforcement budget was hit for $29,900 as the DOB withheld 1.1% of those funds.   Many local assistance payments were affected.  Capitol Group was contacted and provided the following explanation:

The state budget included $1.1 billion of anticipated federal Medicaid money. Because that amount began to look like it may be overly optimistic, the Governor insisted the Legislature create a contingency fund that would have enough money to offset reductions in the federal aid number, while still having a balanced budget. The contingency is funded primarily by cuts in healthcare and education, but also by reductions in member items, local assistance and special revenue accounts. It is across the board with few exceptions. In order to meet the contingency targets, the comptroller was authorized to take money from these funds, in the case of Parks, from the snowmobile law enforcement account among other programs. About $30,000 was cut from law enforcement, reflected in the 1.1% reduction in these local assistance grants. It is not expected that this will impact the trail fund further--unless Parks intends to use other trail fund local assistance money to make law enforcement whole.

If the feds exceeds the aid number (as of now they are $281 million short) and/or the state budget runs a surplus at the end of the fiscal year, the money is supposed to be paid back.

Read NYSSA's letter to Governor Paterson here.