BUFFALO, N.Y. — Local government officials are upset with the governor and his decision as part of his budget proposal, to eliminate this form of state aid for almost all towns and villages, while keeping the amount sent to cities across New York State the same as previous years.
State assembly member Monica Wallace gathered town supervisors and village mayors, along with several of her state legislative colleagues, for what she called a roundtable to voice concerns and plot strategy.
By getting everyone together, Wallace hopes they could come up with the best plan of attack for state lawmakers to deploy in Albany, for the budget battle that will be waged between now and April 1.
The Cuomo Administration has said the towns an villages will stand to gain more because the state finally closed a loophole in collecting sales taxes from goods sold on line.
But towns and villages say they don't all share in sales tax revenue, and Cuomo's decision effects 91 percent of them across the state.
There was also some discussion among participants that this all might be part of the usual budget negotiations, and that it's being used as a bargaining chip for something else the governor wants state lawmakers to support.
But freshman Assemblyman Patrick Burke joined Wallace on Wednesday in saying that he's committed to protecting municipalities, and that the cutting of AIM funding, is a non-starter.