ALBANY, N.Y. -
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-New York, says his budget reforms from the last two years are working.
Cuomo unveiled a $137 billion state budget Tuesday. It would increase spending about 2 percent without tax increases.
In our region, the proposed budget would provide a 4.4 percent increase in education aid, but would level fund aid to local governments.
Cuomo delivered what he called a "straightforward and simple" spending plan, but also interjected a little humor.
"The 2013-14 budget gap is-- $13 billion. (pause) I'm sorry; they had the decimal point in the wrong place-- 1.3 billion. I wanted to see if you were paying attention," Cuomo said to laughter.
The $1.3 billion shortfall is less than 2 percent of projected revenues. Cuomo says without reforms enacted over the last two years, that deficit would have been $17 billion.
