State lawmakers early Monday were poised to approve a $175.5 billion budget that would hit New Yorkers with new taxes and fees on everything from luxury homes to paper bags — and driving into Manhattan south of Central Park.
Despite broad consensus on measures including an additional $1 billion in education funding and a permanent, 2 percent cap on property taxes, the Senate had passed only five of 10 budget bills by early Sunday night, while the Assembly had passed a mere three.
Both houses took breaks at around 6:30 p.m., ahead of what was anticipated to be their toughest votes, on a revenue bill weighed down with controversial proposals including criminal-justice reforms and a first-in-the-nation “congestion-pricing” toll plan for Manhattan.
“This revenue bill is filled with a bunch of bulls–t, but I’m going to vote for it anyway,” one Assembly member was overheard saying.
Gov. Cuomo faced a midnight deadline to sign the budget bills into law before the start of the 2020 fiscal year on Monday.
The plan would increase annual government spending by $7.2 billion, a 4.3 percent increase over fiscal 2019.
During an afternoon news conference, Cuomo — who last week said he’s planning to seek a fourth term in 2022 — called it “probably the broadest, most sweeping state plan that we have done.
“There are a number of national firsts and it really grapples with the tough issues,” he said.
“We’ve done a lot of good work, a lot of good work that has informed the nation and i think this budget is probably the strongest, most progressive thing that we’ve made and actually addresses many of the difficult, difficult issues that we face today.”
Republicans, who are in the minority in both the Senate and Assembly, were critical, with Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan (R-Long Island) calling it a “100 percent Democrat-made budget.
“This is a bad budget for taxpayers, local governments, job seekers and middle-class families,” Flanagan said.
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island, Brooklyn) called it “a monstrosity” and “the worst budget since I’ve been here,” predicting it would prompt New Yorkers to flee the state.
“Even some Democrats took swipes, with Brooklyn Assemblyman Bobby Carroll saying he’d vote against the revenue bill in protest of a measure to create a commission comprised of unelected appointees tasked with implementing a taxpayer-funded, $100-million-a-year campaign-finance program.
“I think it’s unconstitutional,” he said about the commission’s powers.