[Enews] Budget hearing tomorrow, "town halls" to follow

[NAMI-NYS Enews]

Health Care and Mental Health agencies will be testifying on their
budgets tomorrow, Oct. 25, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in Room 124 of
the State Capitol. Agency heads of the Department of Health, Office of
Mental Health, Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Members of the Legislature and their staffs will be invited to
participate and ask questions. The public will be able to attend or
watch the proceedings on an internet webcast at www.budget.state.ny.us.
"Town hall" meetings and "Issue Town Halls" are to follow in November
and December. Please see the announcement below. 


 
 
STATE OF NEW YORK 
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER
ELIOT SPITZER, GOVERNOR 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Anderson 
canderson at chamber.state.ny.us
212 681.4640
518.474.8418
GOVERNOR SPITZER DETAILS PLAN FOR TRANSPARENT EARLY BUDGET PROCESS
Greater Public Discussion and Engagement as the State Faces Difficult
Fiscal Choices

Governor Eliot Spitzer today detailed his plan for a more open and
transparent 2008-2009 budget process to help foster an earlier public
dialogue about the tough fiscal choices facing the state.

"The principles of openness, transparency, and accountability will guide
us through what promises to be a challenging budget process in a
difficult economic climate," said Governor Spitzer. "We cannot change
the finish line for when the budget must be enacted, but we can move up
the starting line. By soliciting input from the public, advocates,
elected officials, and other stakeholders as soon as possible, we will
begin to evaluate the tough but necessary choices we are going to have
to make in next year's budget."

The new process will begin on October 24, 25, and 30 when the Division
of the Budget (DOB) will conduct several public hearings with key state
agencies about their budget requests. Members of the Legislature and
their staffs will be invited to participate and ask questions. The
public will be able to attend or watch the proceedings on an internet
webcast at  <http://www.budget.state.ny.us> www.budget.state.ny.us.

Under the budget reform agreement passed last January, a new "quick
start" process was instituted to provide elected officials and the
public with an earlier consensus understanding of the state's fiscal
outlook. In previous years, the Division of Budget released its
"Mid-year Update," identifying the most current fiscal outlook for this
and future years. But the Legislature did not publicly release similar
estimates until later in the budget process.

The Budget Office will still release its Mid-year Update on October 30.
The Senate, Assembly, Comptroller, and DOB, however, will also all
release separate reports forecasting expected receipts and expenditures
for the current year and at least the ensuing two fiscal years on
November 5. This will then be followed by a public meeting of the
respective finance staffs to discuss any differences in these estimates.
By November 15, the Assembly, Senate, and Division of the Budget will
release a consensus report that will forecast available revenues and
expected expenditures.

After the release of the consensus report, the Division of the Budget
will hold a series of "town hall" meetings throughout the state to
educate the public about impending budget challenges, and solicit input
about funding priorities and possible savings strategies. At these
meetings, which will take place in mid to late November, DOB staff and
senior members of the Spitzer administration will present the current
fiscal outlook and answer questions from members of public. In early
December, DOB will also hold several "issue town halls" in Albany that
each focuses on a specific area of the budget.

In January, Governor Spitzer will deliver a balanced executive budget,
which will incorporate this input from elected officials and the public.

This week, Governor Spitzer delivered remarks to the Citizens Budget
Commission in which he noted that the state faces a difficult fiscal
situation for next year's budget. Given turbulence in the financial
sector - an industry that contributes roughly 20 percent of New York
State's revenue - the state will face tough but necessary choices in
determining spending priorities. The Governor said the new more open and
transparent budget process will be an essential part of stimulating a
dialogue on how best to close the $3.6 billion budget gap currently
projected for 2008-2009.
 
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