The New York state budget passed Wednesday night comes with a major boost for the city of Rochester.
According to state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Rochester will receive $20 million in new aid.
It’s part of a $135 million package of additional funding, on top of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s original budget proposal, to provide assistance to distressed cities across the state.
“So many of our cities are struggling with budget deficits as they work to meet vast and diverse needs of their communities,” Heastie said in a statement. “The Assembly majority is committed to being true partners in governments and making sure they don’t have to go it alone. This investment will help our cities, our communities and our people.”
In February, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans stated that the city was facing a budget deficit of $131 million. To help compensate, when the mayor released his proposed budget this month, it included a $7.5 million increase to the property tax levy — the first increase of its kind in nearly five years.
The budget proposal also included an increase to city fees, surcharges and parking fines, but it doesn’t include any cuts to critical services and programs, the mayor said.
The Rochester City School District also faced a deficit in its budget, which was recently approved by the Board of Education. Superintendent Eric Rosser said he had to contend with a $50 million budget deficit. It’s a deficit, he said, that could grow to $61 million next year.
The state budget now heads to Hochul’s desk for her signature.