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January 27, 2012

Dear CenterState CEO Member:

Highlights of Governor Cuomo's Mandate Relief Plan:

  • Creates a plan for the State to take over 100% of the costs of Medicaid growth, phased in over three years, saving local governments $1.2 billion over the next five years.
  • Creates a pension reform plan that will save State taxpayers and local governments outside New York City $83 billion.


Rob Simpson joins Lt. Governor Robert Duffy to discuss mandate relief at CenterState CEO.

For years, the businesses and residents of this state have been burdened by a challenging fiscal climate. When rising taxes and unfunded mandates are left unchecked, the hands of our private sector, municipalities, and school districts are tied, unable to realize their critical role in reinvigorating our region and state.

For New York to once again be the Empire State, we must have a vibrant private sector that is encouraged to grow in an environment where it is supported by, and partners with, state government. To that end, we were pleased to host Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy yesterday to learn more about how the governor's mandate reform proposals will save Onondaga County taxpayers more than $24 million over the next five years, and a pension reform proposal will save $1.6 billion over the next 30 years.

This, along with other measures in Governor Cuomo's budget proposal, sets in place gap-closing measures to responsibly repair the state's fiscal condition without raising taxes, and with reforms that create legacy savings, rather than quick fixes that don't address our structural challenges. The governor has also announced a new, 11-member Mandate Relief Council, with Assemblyman William Magnarelli among the appointees, charged with reviewing and advancing proposals to reduce the statutory and regulatory burdens on local governments and school districts.

Coupled with new opportunities to drive business attraction and investment through our Regional Economic Development Council, we are taking the necessary steps to position New York for future growth. I now call on our region's legislators to pass the mandate and pension reform legislation needed to foster an environment that leads to economic development, small business growth, and job generation.

Contact your New York State Senator and Assemblyperson to voice your support, or get in touch with Deb Warner, CenterState CEO's VP of Government Relations at dwarner@centerstateceo.com, to learn how to become more involved in CenterState CEO's government modernization efforts.

We stand prepared to work with the Governor to strategically align resources to take advantage of these opportunities.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Simpson
President & CEO