The federal government has long been a key partner in New York State’s efforts to deliver essential public services.

Each year, thousands of New Yorkers take the opportunity, while paying their State taxes, to support a variety of charitable purposes through the State’s personal income tax check-off programs.

The State Budget determines how much can be spent in various program areas and how the necessary revenue will be raised. In recent years, annual budgets have increasingly become broader policy-making documents.

In governmental budgeting, there can sometimes be a tendency to focus on the short term. At any level of government, taxpayers and those who depend on public services can suffer if officials don’t ensure a strong financial foundation for the long term as well.

This Report on Estimated Receipts and Disbursements for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2018-19 through SFY 2020-21, issued pursuant to Section 23 of the State Finance Law, is intended to enhance analysis and discussion of the State’s economic condition and the State Budget.

State tax revenues in December and January fell far short of earlier projections, making the process of adopting the new State budget more difficult than in the recent past.

This year’s State budget process was complicated by December and January tax revenues falling billions of dollars short of expectations. By the start of the new fiscal year on April 1, the picture was somewhat brighter as a result of stronger than anticipated revenues for the month of March and a higher than expected General Fund balance to begin the new year.

New York State continues to benefit from a historically long national economic expansion, now extending a full decade. The Division of the Budget (DOB) projects healthy growth in tax receipts and federal aid for the current fiscal year.

This Report on Estimated Receipts and Disbursements for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2019-20 through SFY 2021-22, issued pursuant to Section 23 of the State Finance Law, is intended to enhance analysis and discussion of the State’s economic condition and the State Budget.

The national economy has now been growing for more than a decade – a lengthy expansion, by historical standards. While we have no way of knowing exactly when that will change, we can be sure that at some point a downturn will come. When that happens, the State must be prepared to safeguard essential services and avoid undesirable tax increases.