Heading into the legislative session this year, top of mind for me, along with most Orange County residents, is the ongoing affordability crisis, an issue I continue to be laser-focused on. Last week, Governor Hochul gave her annual State of the State address, outlining new proposals and vision for New York, and while I was pleased to hear proposals aimed at helping working-class New Yorkers, I’m disappointed at the lack of directives for Orange County.
The cost of raising a family continues to rise, so I was particularly interested in the Governor’s proposal for a middle-class tax cut for families making up to $323k as well as an expanded child tax credit. The federal model of this tax credit led to a historic reduction of child poverty in the United States, and I’m enthusiastic to see its effect on New York families. After last year’s disappointment of incomplete funding for the final year of the Universal Pre-K program, I was interested in the Governor’s support of universal free school meals and I’m hoping to see steps taken to ensure our promise to New York families is not broken again.
I was extremely concerned to hear nothing about congestion pricing relief for Orange County residents. There are many communities in the MTA region who have literally no rail service into Manhattan; many others are served by sporadic, at best, train schedules. With no common-sense carve-outs, commuters who serve some of our state’s most important lines of work, such as healthcare professions and first responders, are left with no choice but to pay a burdensome extra tax just to drive to work.
As budget negotiations begin, I will always continue to put Orange County residents first
