Major cuts are in store for the state budget as New York faces billions in lost revenue due to the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says.
The governor is pushing the Legislature for the power to adjust the budget periodically throughout the fiscal year.
The state could be in for a $15 billion loss in revenue due to the pandemic.
The warning comes as Democratic lawmakers, led by Yonkers’ Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Bronx Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie spent the weekend video conferencing about the budget.
Governor Cuomo and his team cautioned that education funding, which makes up about a third of state spending annually, could be in for a hit and hinted that dramatic belt-tightening could be in store.
State budget director Robert Mujica saysNew York will likely be forced to borrow money to cover immediate costs.
Gov. Cuomo keepsy pitching the idea of allowing his administration the flexibility to amend state spending throughout the year.
Yonkers legislators understand the fiscal situation, but they don’t want to cede any more authority to the executive as he seeks to deeply cut Yonkers schools and city services.
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