Assemblyman Joe Giglio (R,I,C-Gowanda) today called on Governor David Paterson to remove a proposal from his 2010-2011 Executive Budget which would take $1 million away from the Snowmobile Trail Development and Maintenance Fund and place it into the State’s General Fund.

“The Snowmobile fund is financially supported entirely by the registration fees that are paid when snowmobiles are registered with the State,” said Giglio. “When snowmobile registration fees were increased a couple of years ago, the State promised that the money in the fund would only be used for development and maintenance of snowmobile trails. Transferring $1 million out of that fund to the State’s General Fund is unwarranted and would damage an important part of the Upstate economy.”

The proposal also would allow the General Fund to have access to 30% of the remaining Snowmobile Fund balance and would expand the use of that money to include all recreational activities on State lands.

“Albany is again looking to address its own fiscal mismanagement by swiping money from funds which have a dedicated purpose. This proposal is simply a shortsighted money grab that will hurt our already struggling Upstate economy. I will do whatever possible to prevent the inclusion of this proposal in the State budget,” concluded Giglio. According to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Snowmobile industry contributes more than $875 million to the State economy each year.