The constitution empowers the Governor to shape the budget and restricts the Legislature’s ability to change the Governor’s proposals. The Assembly and Senate hold joint hearings on the Governor’s proposed executive budget and then pass resolutions reflecting their priorities. After negotiations to reconcile these different priorities, both houses pass a final budget and the Governor can sign it, veto it or eliminate any item through a “line item” veto.

Assemblyman Abinanti has been a leader in pushing back against mediocre Executive Budgets presented by the governor and been part of a repeated effort to improve the  Executive Budget to enhance funding critical to Westchester residents. 

Taxes

Assemblyman Abinanti has been part of the Assembly effort to re-balance the sources of state revenue to insure that the wealth pay their fair share and reduce the burden on the middle class. Assemblyman Abinanti has voted for successive budgets that reduce the middle-class income tax rates. 

Property Tax Relief

To lower property taxes, the State needs to pay more of the cost of education.  The Assembly has fought to increase aid to localities and school districts which reduces homeowners’ property taxes. Assemblyman Abinanti and his Assembly colleagues fought for years to get the recently enacted school tax circuit breaker program to provide state rebates of property taxes for middle-class taxpayers.