Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)
ALBANY – Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean), who represents Chautauqua County and several other counties in the Southern Tier, has offered her thoughts on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2015-16 executive budget.
Among the positives for Sen. Young was the effort to provide assistance to small businesses.
“I was happy to hear the Governor speak about small business tax relief and expansion of broadband in rural areas because both of the initiatives will bring us more opportunities,” Young said in a prepared statement. “Distribution of economic development funds must benefit rural areas to ensure that every region of the state gets the attention it needs and deserves. There shouldn’t be winners and losers when it comes to job growth.”
The Olean Republican also said that she will focus specifically on the distribution of the $5 billion in state settlement money, especially as it pertains to infrastructure improvements across her district. And Young said she’ll also be focusing on the governor’s plan for funding education – including the elimination of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, which she says has put an unbearable financial hit on local school districts.
The Senate and the Assembly will begin budget deliberations in the coming days to hammer out their own versions of the spending plan. They will then meet to negotiate a final budget, with a deadline of April 1, when the new fiscal year gets underway.
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