Andy Goodell
JAMESTOWN – Regardless of how much federal aid the state receives, Chautauqua County’s representative in Albany says the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy is going to have an adverse impact on the 2013-2014 state budget in different ways.
Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R-Jamestown) – who won reelection to a second term in the State Assembly last week – said Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that he wants to spend more than $100 million in funding to help communities affected by the storm. He says in addition to finding a way to account for that additional spending, the state could also be losing revenue.
“With significant sections of Long Island and Westchester County still without electrical power, it’s obviously going to have an impact on their economy,” Goodell explained during a phone interview with WRFA late last week. “As it impacts their economy, it will effect the state’s revenue. If your mall has no power and no lights and no sales, then obviously there is no sales tax to be generated.”
Goodell said while he hasn’t seen the total cost of damages related to the storm, it could end up costing the state a large amount of money – as high as a quarter billion dollars. Much of that hinges on how much aid the federal government will end up providing the state, based on the forthcoming request from the governor.
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