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October 23, 2007Governor Spitzer Announces Steps To Expedite the Budget Process. Administration will be Seeking Input from across New York State Today, Governor Spitzer announced a series of reforms to expedite the budget process. One of those announcements that is particularly germane to us is that the Division of Budget plans on scheduling meetings around the state regarding budget priorities. This will be a real opportunity to highlight some of the significant need in the psychiatric disabilities community including the need for health care enhancements for direct care staffs in OMH licensed programs and a permanent COLA for the mental health community. Other pieces to highlight include the need for more housing, more funding for independent case mangers for adult home residents, suicide prevention funding, funding for geriatric mental health, supported employment funding, assurances that the carve out remains for mental health medications in the Preferred Drug List and funding for criminal justice reform including mental health courts. Please contact us if you would like any information on these topics for your budget advocacy. Attached is the Governor’s press release. As soon as the dates are posted we will let you know.
STATE
OF NEW YORK FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2007 CONTACT:
Christine Anderson GOVERNOR
SPITZER DETAILS PLAN FOR TRANSPARENT EARLY BUDGET PROCESS
“The principles of openness, transparency, and accountability will guide us through what promises to be a challenging budget process in a difficult economic climate,” said Governor Spitzer. “We cannot change the finish line for when the budget must be enacted, but we can move up the starting line. By soliciting input from the public, advocates, elected officials, and other stakeholders as soon as possible, we will begin to evaluate the tough but necessary choices we are going to have to make in next year’s budget.” The new process will begin on October 24, 25, and 30 when the Division of the Budget (DOB) will conduct several public hearings with key state agencies about their budget requests. Members of the Legislature and their staffs will be invited to participate and ask questions. The public will be able to attend or watch the proceedings on an internet webcast at www.budget.state.ny.us. A schedule for these hearings is attached. Under the budget reform agreement passed last January, a new “quick start” process was instituted to provide elected officials and the public with an earlier consensus understanding of the state’s fiscal outlook. In previous years, the Division of Budget released its “Mid-year Update,” identifying the most current fiscal outlook for this and future years. But the Legislature did not publicly release similar estimates until later in the budget process. The Budget Office will still release its Mid-year Update on October 30. The Senate, Assembly, Comptroller, and DOB, however, will also all release separate reports forecasting expected receipts and expenditures for the current year and at least the ensuing two fiscal years on November 5. This will then be followed by a public meeting of the respective finance staffs to discuss any differences in these estimates. By November 15, the Assembly, Senate, and Division of the Budget will release a consensus report that will forecast available revenues and expected expenditures. After the release of the consensus report, the Division of the Budget will hold a series of “town hall” meetings throughout the state to educate the public about impending budget challenges, and solicit input about funding priorities and possible savings strategies. At these meetings, which will take place in mid to late November, DOB staff and senior members of the Spitzer administration will present the current fiscal outlook and answer questions from members of public. In early December, DOB will also hold several “issue town halls” in Albany that each focuses on a specific area of the budget. In January, Governor Spitzer will deliver a balanced executive budget, which will incorporate this input from elected officials and the public. This week, Governor Spitzer delivered remarks to the Citizens Budget Commission in which he noted that the state faces a difficult fiscal situation for next year’s budget. Given turbulence in the financial sector – an industry that contributes roughly 20 percent of New York State’s revenue – the state will face tough but necessary choices in determining spending priorities. The Governor said the new more open and transparent budget process will be an essential part of stimulating a dialogue on how best to close the $3.6 billion budget gap currently projected for 2008-2009. ### |
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