SENATOR JOHN I.

FLANAGAN DISTRICT
2nd DISTRICT 260 Middle Country Road
Suite 203
Ranking Minority Member
Smlthtown, New York 11787
Education
THE SENATE 1631) 3d-2r54
Committees Fax 163l) 361-5367
STATE OF NEW YORK
Agrng E.MAIL:
Codes f lanagan@senate.state ny us

Consumer Protection
Higher Education
Cultural Affairs, Tourism
Parks €' Recreation

April23. 2010

Hon. David A.'Paterson

Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Albany, New York 12224

Dear Govemor Paterson:

This is written with urgency concerning your Executive Budget proposatr to allow school
districts access to employee benefit accrued liability reserye funds. While we are all hopeful that
a resolution of the current budget negotiations will be imrnediately forthcoming, it is likely that
fuither emergency appropriation bills will be necessary as early as Monday - April 26tn,2010.

As you know, there has been general agreement on extending this authority to school
districts as indicated by the adoption of similar pr'oposals in both the Assembly and Senate
Budget Resolutions. It is also agreed that such action rvill impose no fiscal obligations on the
State and will only serve to assist school districts in mitigating the impact of budget cuts and
producing savings for local property taxpayers.

As districts ftnahze their budgets for the annual school budget vote on May 18th, this
authority will be critical to the budgeting process and to garnering iocal budget support.
Therefore, I am respectfully requesting that sufficient language be included to grant school
districts access to these funds as parl of your emergency budget extender bills for the week of
April 26th The timeliness of youi inclusion of this provision will underscore your commitment to
assisting school districts and local property taxes.

Thank you fbr your thoughtful consideration of this request.

cc: Lawrence Schwartz. Secretarv to the Governor

tJ