Governor Announces Budget To Include $20m In New Aid For City Of Yonkers

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GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BUDGET TO INCLUDE $20M IN NEW AID FOR CITY OF YONKERS

Funding Will Allow City Leaders to Meet Critical Local Needs, Keep Taxes Under Control

Governor George E. Pataki today announced that his 2006-07 Executive Budget, which he will unveil next week, will include $20 million in new local aid for the City of Yonkers. The funding, which the Governor announced at an event at Yonkers City Hall today, will be available to Yonkers in their 2006-07 school year.

“This important funding will allow the City of Yonkers to make new investments in their schools and assure that the new video gaming facility does not in any way increase the tax burden on the people of Yonkers” Governor Pataki said. “It’s vital that we make every effort to ensure that the City of Yonkers continues to have the ability to make smart investments in its schools while keeping taxes as low as possible for its residents.”

Today’s announcement is part of a new $44 million program in the Governor’s Executive Budget, which will provide new funding to certain communities with video lottery terminal facilities. The program’s goal is to ensure that the new facilities don’t increase tax burden on residents and to help the localities meet critical local needs. Remaining details of this new program will be included in the Governor’s budget when it is unveiled on Tuesday.

Senator Nick Spano said, “This is the most significant announcement regarding the funding of education in Yonkers in our City’s History.”

Assemblyman Louis Mosiello said, “The City of Yonkers will greatly benefit from this proposed additional $20 million aid. I want to thank Governor Pataki for including this in his budget. I will continue working for the people of Yonkers along with the other elected officials to make sure the City of Yonkers receives this money.”

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone said, “Governor Pataki has demonstrated a firm commitment to improving education in the City of Yonkers. This $20 million will not only help to offset the costs to our taxpayers of the new VLT facility at Yonkers Raceway but will provide a good first step toward closing the budget gap in this year’s school budget.”

The new Video Lottery Terminal facility at Yonkers Raceway is scheduled to open in Fall 2006 with approximately 3,000 machines. Within a few months, the facility will expand to 5,500 machines and become the largest facility of its kind in New York State.

Yonkers City Schools have benefited tremendously under the historic school aid increases enacted under Governor Pataki. Since 1995, when the Governor took office, Yonkers’ school aid has grown by nearly $80 million, or 100 percent to a total of $162 million. During that time, municipal aid to the City of Yonkers has grown by nearly $58 million, or 240 percent to a total of $82 million.

Yonkers has also benefited from the Governor’s efforts to end federal court intervention in the Yonkers schools, through the historic settlement of the Yonkers Schools desegregation case. This case was settled in 2002 and provided Yonkers with $300 million in additional support over five years, in addition to the $220 million in State support that had been provided previously for this purpose.

The State has also provided assistance to Yonkers by accelerating a total of $25 million in State education aid payments and $17.5 million in State municipal aid payments.

[Ragin]

$20M IN NEW AID FOR CITY OF YONKERS .... Funding Will Allow City Leaders to Meet Critical Local Needs, Keep Taxes Under Control Keep Taxes Under Control ...

Awe, com'on!

Granted, downtown Yonkers could use a boost and a facelift, but where does it stop?

Next year we're building them a friggin baseball stadium, AAA I believe, in the middle of Getty Square (that's the heart of the city), displacing the small businesses lining Main Street.

I guess MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and world-class harness racing, don't provide enough entertainment.

[buffy]

Originally posted by RaginTaxpayer
Awe, com'on!

Granted, downtown Yonkers could use a boost and a facelift, but where does it stop?

Next year we're building them a friggin baseball stadium, AAA I believe, in the middle of Getty Square (that's the heart of the city), displacing the small businesses lining Main Street.

I guess MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and world-class harness racing, don't provide enough entertainment.

Hallelulia, a niche for Ragin' (former) NYC resident !

[Ragin]

I moved a lot


I lived across the street from Yonkers Raceway 18 years ago. I'd put David in the stroller and take him to watch them exercise the horses.