Governor Hochul Announces FY 2023 Budget Investments to Deliver for North Country Families

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced regional investments in the FY 2023 State Budget to deliver for North Country families. This follows Governor Hochul's announcement of the next wave deployment of zero-emission buses that will be manufactured in Plattsburgh. The Governor had also previously announced economic development awards spurring nearly $46 million in capital investments in Western New York and the North Country.

"Better days are ahead not only for New York, but also for the North Country, as we invest in the places that make this region so special, while laying the groundwork to attract companies that will bring the good-paying jobs of the future," Governor Hochul said. "From targeted investments in transportation infrastructure and job creation, to significant funding for economic drivers like the World University Games, to providing tax credits for hardworking families and small businesses, this historic budget delivers for the North Country in a big way. Our economic recovery isn't about Upstate versus Downstate - it's about One New York State. I am proud that our economic recovery efforts will not only launch the greatest comeback this state has ever seen, but also deliver results for every corner of New York State."

Investments into the North Country in the FY 2023 State Budget include:

Transportation

• CHIPS Local Highway Aid Program: The Budget provides $42.4 million in funding for local roads and bridges in the North Country through the CHIPS program.
• PAVE NY Local Highway Aid Program: The Budget provides $11.5 million in funding for local roads in the North Country through the PAVE NY program.
• Extreme Winter Recovery (EWR): The Budget provides $8.6 million in funding for local roads and bridges in the North Country through the EWR program.
• State Touring Routes (STR): The Budget provides $4.5 million in funding for local roads in the North Country through the STR program.
• Pave our Potholes (POP): The Budget provides $7.7 million in funding for local roads through the POP program.
• Road and Bridge Improvements: The Budget includes funding for road and bridge projects in the North Country region such as:
  • $9.5 million for pavement renewal along Interstate 87, from Exit 31 to Clinton County Line, in the towns of Chesterfield, Lewis and Westport, Essex County.
  • $14.6 million for the replacement of the bridge carrying Route 28 over the South Inlet of Raquette Lake in the town of Arietta, Hamilton County.
  • $2.6 million to replace the bridge carrying Route 30 over Deer River Flow, in the Town of Duane, Franklin County.
  • $1.8 million to replace the culvert carrying Route 30 over Route 30 over Dugway Brook, in the Town of Duane, Franklin County.

Local Government

• Provide Aid and Incentives to Municipalities. The Budget provides $13.3 million in general purpose aid to the region's local governments.
• Consolidate Local Governments to Create Taxpayer Savings. The Budget provides over $1.1 million in savings for North Country taxpayers residing in dissolved villages through the Citizen Empowerment Tax Credit (CETC) program.
• Reduce Property Taxes and Lower Cost of Local Government through Shared Services. The Budget continues to provide nearly $200 million in state matching funds to support collaboration between local governments through the County Wide Shared Services Initiative (CWSSI). To date, projects in the North Country have been provided with over $1 million in state matching funds.

Environment and Energy

• $29 million for the construction of a new Adirondack Park Agency headquarters in Ray Brook (Essex County).

The FY 23 Budget includes additional funding for the following parks projects:

1. Whetstone Gulf State Park 3 Comfort Station Rehabilitations - $350,000
2. Crown Point Museum Roof Rehab - $500,000

• An estimated $23 million for the Adirondack Rail Trail, connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake so users can enjoy the unique charm and amenities of each community while providing access to miles of trails, numerous campsites, and abundant waterways.
• Cascade Mountain Sustainable Hiking Trail - This new, 5-mile trail will address roadside parking and safety issues by relocating the trailhead off of a busy state highway, mitigate natural resource impacts by constructing the new trail to sustainable standards, and increase opportunities for education and outreach by locating the trailhead at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex.
• $2.1 million for the "Timbuctoo Project", a systemic partnership between the SUNY ESF and CUNY Medgar Evers College with the goal of collaborating on the design, development and hosting of an annual 'Summer Climate and Careers Institute' dedicated to providing an introduction to climate science, an exploration of intersectional careers, and addressing systemic issues of access from an equity and justice perspective.

Education and Child Care

• Support North Country Schools. New York State continues its strong commitment to education by providing additional funding to meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools amid the ongoing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The FY 2023 Enacted Budget increases School Aid in the North Country by $57.0 million (6.6 percent), including a $35.8 million (6.1 percent) increase in Foundation Aid. This increase is largely driven by the second year of the three-year phase-in of full funding of the Foundation Aid formula.
• Increasing the current investment in child care subsidies. The North Country will receive an estimated $52 million in child care subsidies from the State in FY 2023-2026, more than doubling what was previously available to the region.

Economic Development

• Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) Capital Improvements. The Budget includes $105 million in new capital funding for ORDA, including $92.5 million for a strategic upgrade and modernization plan to support improvements to the Olympic facilities and ski resorts with a focus on preparation for the 2023 World University Games, $12.5 million for critical maintenance energy efficiency upgrades and historic preservation. These investments include $30 million for the North Creek Ski Bowl project at Gore and $45 million for Lake Placid Olympic facilities. Additional investments in these North Country assets will continue to make New York more competitive for winter recreation and travel, attracting large sports events, and ultimately driving year-round business and economic sustainability for the area.

Health

• Invest in Local Health Departments. The Enacted Budget includes approximately $500,000 in funding to increase the General Public Health Work (Article 6) base grants for all full and partial-service counties in the region. This includes $100,000 for Clinton County Health Department. The Enacted Budget also invests funding for all counties to cover a portion of fringe benefit costs for public health staff through State Aid reimbursement, which will help counties increase their staffing levels to meet public health demands.

Housing

• Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Program (NPP/ RPP). The Budget includes more than $1 million for the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) to support community-based not-for-profit groups that provide housing assistance, community renewal activities, and rental subsidies in the North Country region.
• Rural Rental Assistance Program (RRAP). The Budget provides rental assistance through the Rural Rental Assistance Program (RRAP) for more than 700 units of low-income housing for rural tenants in the North County Region.

Revenue Actions and STAR

• Provide a Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit. The Budget creates a new property tax relief credit, the Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit, for eligible low- and middleincome households, as well as eligible senior households. Basic STAR exemption and credit beneficiaries with incomes below $250,000 and Enhanced STAR recipients are eligible for the property tax rebate where the benefit is a percentage of the homeowner's existing STAR benefit.
  • The average benefit for North Country homeowners will be about $600, providing relief to an estimated 81,000 property tax-paying households.
• Accelerate the Middle-Class Tax Cut. The Budget accelerates the phase-in of the Middle-Class Tax Cut by two years, fully implementing the cut beginning tax year 2023 instead of tax year 2025.
  • This is estimated to benefit close to 86,000 North Country taxpayers with an average tax cut of $105 in tax year 2023 and $54 in tax year 2024.
• Provide Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Noncustodial Parent EITC Bonus Payments. The Budget provides a one-time supplemental payment equal to 25 percent of the EITC or Noncustodial Parent EITC claimed for tax year 2021, provided the benefit is at least $25.
  • This is estimated to provide nearly 20,000 North Country taxpayers with an average benefit of $194.
• Provide an Empire State Child Credit (ESCC) Bonus Payment. The Budget provides a one-time supplemental payment of between 25 and 100 percent of the ESCC claimed for tax year 2021, provided the benefit is at least $25.
  • This is estimated to provide nearly 29,000 North Country taxpayers with an average benefit of $207.

Mental Hygiene

• Support Addiction Treatment Services. The budget provides over $14 million to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention in the North Country. This funding will support a myriad of programs, including opioid treatment, residential treatment beds, prevention programs, outpatient treatment clinics, a youth clubhouse, a recovery community and outreach center, jail-based treatment, permanent support housing, problem gambling services, and one State-Operated Addiction Treatment Center. These programs provide individual and group counseling, medication-assisted treatment, educational services, case management, vocational assessment, job skills training, employment readiness, parenting skills, and social/community living skills.
• Veteran Peer-to-Peer Services Program. Named to honor the memory of a veteran who committed suicide, the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Services Program offers a non-clinical support model by veterans to veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), suicidal ideations, and/or other mental health challenges. The budget will allocate approximately $690,000 to fund the program within the North Country Region.