Government & Politics

Brown Lends Support to Call for Increased State Aid for Municipalities

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Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown (right) with other mayors at press conference in White Plains.

February 26, 2024

By Rick Pezzullo—

Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown was among several city and village leaders who gathered in White Plains Friday to advocate for increased unrestricted aid from New York State.

The New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM) is leading a statewide tour to call attention to the fact Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) funding has remained stagnant for 15 years.

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“Mayors share the same goals as our state leaders — to keep our communities safe and affordable — but we can’t do that on our own,” said Barbara Van Epps, NYCOM Executive Director. “We need an ongoing commitment from the state to be a partner in our efforts to break down the barriers to efficiency and community revitalization.”

In Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2025 Executive Budget, AIM funding is set once again at $715 million, which is shared statewide.

Municipalities are fond of AIM support since there are no provisions on how the money can be spent. “Unrestricted funding is golden,” said Hastings-on-Hudson Mayor Nicola Armacost.

Tarrytown Village Administrator Richard Slingerland stated in the current village fiscal year that runs through May 31, Tarrytown’s budget-listed State Aid per capita is $83,637.

Meanwhile, in the 2007-2008 year, the State Aid Tarrytown received was $88,189. “Cities and villages, whether it’s a city like White Plains or a city like Albany, deliver for our residents every day, and securing additional state aid will expand our efforts to enhance public safety and invest in our aging infrastructure,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who serves as NYCOM President. “We have really come to the end of the rope for the things we can do to balance our budget.”

The tour will resume in mid-March, visiting Western and Central New York before wrapping up in Albany as the State Legislature looks to adopt the budget by April 1.

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