Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) held his annual Budget Town Hall on Thursday evening via Zoom Webinar to discuss the ongoing 2021-22 state budget deliberations and receive input from Central New Yorkers.

“As your representative in Albany, my number one priority is making sure your voices are heard as we make critical decisions about our state’s future during this exceptionally difficult year,” said Stirpe. “Last night’s town hall allowed me to address questions on lottery and canal funding and learn more about the unique issues that our communities face. As we continue to face unprecedented challenges, it is more important than ever to prioritize the needs of working families so they can recover from the financial strain caused by the pandemic and help get our economy back on track.”

As the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Small Businesses and co-chair of the working group focused on New York’s economic recovery from COVID-19, Stirpe is fighting for Central New York families and small businesses. Depending on the amount of federal aid New York State receives, the governor has proposed budget plans to close whatever gap remains by cutting up to $2 billion in school funding, $600 million in Medicaid funding and $900 million in various other programs. These vital services are already under financial strain and slashing their funding would be devastating for Central New York communities and other communities throughout the state, noted Stirpe.

Constituents who were unable to attend Stirpe’s budget town hall are encouraged to contact the assemblyman’s office at 315-452-1115 or StirpeA@nyassembly.gov if they have any opinions they’d like to share on the state budget or any other issue. The 2021-22 state budget is due April 1. The governor released his budget proposal last month, and the Assembly and Senate are expected to pass their budget resolutions in mid-March.