Enviro, park funding, local tax control in Gov. budget

ELIZABETHTOWN | Local officials are still sifting through details of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $216 billion FY2023 executive budget. And the spending plan has to mesh with state Assembly and Senate budgets before any part of it is enacted. But some elements are drawing peaked interest from county planners and the parks and environmental preservation community. KEEPING SALES TAX LOCAL A reversal of Cuomo era sales tax collection, and diversion of funds to the Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) program, is a welcome change, according to Essex County Manager Dan Palmer. In 2019, Cuomo moved AIM payments from the state general fund to monies collected from county sales tax. In her budget, Hochul returns control of sales tax to the counties. "The AIM payments prior to three years ago were paid directly by the state to the local governments. When they agreed to collect tax on internet sales, Cuomo said we're going to take the money out of your county sales tax and pay it to the municipalities," Palmer explained. "Hochul is saying the state will go back to what they used to do and pay the municipalities directly." "It's a good thing for us if they don't take our sales tax," Palmer said. "Governor Hochul's proposal would be a relief to counties." Essex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Shaun Gillilland said ending the AIM payment diversion would likely alleviate friction. "It will definitely improve relationships between state governments and the counties," he said. Gaining permanent sales tax authority also looks nice for counties, Gillilland said. "It looks like we won't have to go back to legislature if we want to get another quarter percent tax increase. And that would be good." Hochul's budget would reinstate what is supposed to be an annual $300,000 payment for Essex County waste transfer. The funds are part of a longstanding agreement with the state to cover waste hauling because towns and counties in the Adirondack Park are not allowed to have landfills. "Basil (Seggos, Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner) wrote me and said it has been restored to the budget. This funding helps pay for trucking waste out of the county." Gillilland, who is also Town of Willsboro supervisor, said increased environmental funding in Hochul's plan would benefit rural Adirondack towns. "I'm liking the money they've got in there, buffing up the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), including the wastewater and sewer money." EPF, STATE PARK INVESTMENT Hochul's FY 2023 budget would build the EPF to $400 million, a proposed $100 million more than current spending In addition, the governor is looking for $200 million to invest in state parks and a 15 percent increase in the operating budget for state parks. "Gov. Hochul's support for preserving open space and our natural environment underscores the importance of public green space, made more apparent during the pandemic," according to Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York. "The increased EPF doubles funding for the Park & Trail Partnership Grant program to a total of $2 million, which will further advance private partnership efforts to steward the state's parks and public lands and address barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion," she said. Dropkin said the EPF supports more than 350,000 jobs across New York and for every $1 invested, $7 in economic benefits are returned to the state. A wide-ranging coalition of Adirondack and Catskill Park outdoor recreation and conservation clubs and municipalities have heaped praise on the prospect of added EPF funding. Green groups have for decades sought investment in preservation, recreation, trail and conservation programs in New York State, particularly for programs that address climate change mitigation, such as invasive species. Funding in Hochul's budget includes: $50 million for State Land stewardship to be used for trail building, education, trailhead and sanitation facilities, and comprehensive planning, including efforts to curtail overuse in the Adirondack and Catskill parks. $40 million for open space and land conservation. $13 million for environmental justice and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice initiatives $17 million for combating invasive species In a news release, the coalition said they support Hochul's plan to increase staff and funding for DEC and for the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). "The Governor has proposed a series of wise investments in the Adirondacks that will reap rich rewards in terms of environmental protection, new jobs and long-term, sustainable community-based economic development," Adirondack Council Director of Government Relations Kevin Chlad said in a news release. "Investments in clean water, green jobs and wilderness protection are the formula for success in the Adirondacks. "Managing visitors more carefully appears to be a priority. We also applaud her proposals for curbing and coping with climate change." In the Town of Keene, Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson has been collaborating with DEC and environmental groups to develop measures that calm overuse on the High Peaks trail system. "The Town of Keene is grateful for the Governor's vision of supporting local government in providing access to state land, promoting stewardship, and improving our water infrastructure," Wilson said. "The state has been a strong partner and it's great to see this commitment." The environmental coalition anticipates Hochul's $4 Billion 'Clean Water Clean Air Green Jobs' Bond Act will be on the Nov. 2022 ballot for statewide approval.

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Enviro, park funding, local tax control in Gov. budget

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