NYS leaders reform state budget process

By SHERRY HALBROOK
Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced in January that he had reached an agreement with the two top legislative leaders — state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno — on legislation to reform the state budget process.

The legislation (S.1322/A.2755), which quickly passed in both houses and was signed into law, requires the budget to be balanced and spending itemized.

“From PEF’s point of view,” said Tom Cetrino, who heads the union’s budget analysis efforts, “one of the most important provisions of this reform is a requirement that the governor’s Executive Budget include multi-year details on state work force levels and any proposed changes to those levels.”

It also requires the Legislature, within 30 days after it adopts a state budget, to estimate how that budget will affect the state work force.

PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran said the changes will create “a lot of pressure to move quickly on adopting a state budget, and that will force us to move very quickly to analyze the Executive Budget proposals and get our information and responses to lawmakers.”

Disagreements over how much money the state has to spend have created long delays in the past. Now, if no consensus is reached by March 1, the question will be resolved by the state comptroller by March 5.

Differences over how much should be spent on certain items will be “promptly” referred to joint conference committees for resolution.

The legislation also includes a requirement to initiate “quick start” three-way budget discussions each November, followed by quarterly budget review meetings.

And the plan calls for siphoning up to an additional 3 percent from the state’s general fund into a “rainy day” fund. This is in addition to 2 percent already being stashed there annually.

The Communicator March 2007

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