Division Of Budget’s Financial Plan Shows The Price Wasn’t Right

When New Yorkers buy a car, sign a mortgage or even order dinner, they expect to know the price before they commit. Albany operates by a different set of rules.

This week, the state Division of the Budget released its financial plan and revealed the true spending figure for this year’s budget: $277 billion. That’s $9 billion higher than the number publicly discussed during budget negotiations and which legislators ultimately voted on. It’s also nearly a 10% increase over last year’s $254 billion budget.

This raises a number of questions and concerns, the most glaring being: Why are lawmakers voting on budget bills without having a complete fiscal analysis?

The financial plan provides a comprehensive summary of the spending contained in all 10 budget bills the Legislature debates and votes on. It details how much money is being appropriated and where it is going. Common sense suggests this information should be available before lawmakers cast their votes so both legislators and taxpayers have a clear understanding of the budget’s true cost. Releasing this information only after the budget has been enacted is inexcusably irresponsible at best and deliberately deceptive at worst.

Imagine paying for dinner and receiving the check afterward to discover the prices on the menu were lower than what you were actually charged. When you question it, you’re told that’s simply how the system works. If you press further, the owner of the restaurant tells you to accept it or head down to Florida, where you belong.

New York has developed a spending problem because state leaders have developed a difficult time saying “no.” Albany Democrats have built a performative facade by spending billions they don’t have on expanded programs without a long-term funding plan and then deciding to kick the problem down the road. It’s no wonder state spending has exploded by nearly $100 billion since one?party rule took hold.

The financial plan also reveals growing deficits. We are projected to face budget gaps totaling $31.6 billion in the coming years, which is extremely troubling. Even if tax revenues remain strong, there is an increasingly large mismatch between what New York plans to spend and what it expects to bring in.

Ignoring the warning signs won’t make them go away. I encourage New Yorkers to look beyond the facade and state leaders to be honest about our financial condition. We can restore accountability to the budget process, but it will take leaders willing to finally say “no.”

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at [email protected]. You may also find me, Assemblyman Will Barclay, on Facebook or X at @WillABarclay.