Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) President Andrew S. Rein and Reinvent Albany President John Kaehny released this statement on behalf of the CBC and Reinvent Albany:

"Reinvent Albany and the Citizens Budget Commission appreciate the Governor, Comptroller, Senate, and Assembly for holding a Fiscal Year 2025 'Quick Start' Budget Meeting today, kicking off budget discussions early with the goal of coming to a timely agreement on revenue projections by March 1, 2024. At the meeting today, the State’s elected leaders will each release their revenue and disbursement (spending) projections, and provide updated economic forecasts. 

'Quick start' is a common-sense way to increase transparency and keep the budget centered on spending priorities instead of bickering over projected revenues. 

We thank Governor Hochul for rebooting the 'Quick Start' meetings in 2021 together with the Comptroller, Senate, Assembly, holding them three consecutive Novembers.  

The 'Quick Start' meetings were formalized during the Spitzer administration as part of the Budget Reform Act of 2007, but were abandoned starting in 2011. (See Citizens Budget Commission’s Accounting and More for a Better Budget for more information about the 2007 reforms.)

Achieving an early consensus on revenue projections is a crucial part of passing a timely State budget, because without an agreement on how much money the State has coming in, there can be no agreement on how much it has to spend. In October 2023, the Governor’s Division of the Budget estimated next year’s budget (FY 2024-2025) will have a $4.3 billion gap without increases in revenue or cuts in spending."

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About Citizens Budget Commission

The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank and watchdog whose mission is to achieve constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and New York State government. CBC's mission is rooted in serving New Yorkers at large, rather than narrow special interests; preserving public resources, whether financial or human; and focusing on the well-being of future New Yorkers, the most underrepresented group in city and state government.

About Reinvent Albany

Reinvent Albany advocates for transparent and accountable New York government. We work to strengthen the Freedom of Information Law and put government information online. We advocate for government open data and the laws, practices, and funding to make it happen. We seek more accountable and better-governed state authorities, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). We believe fair, clean elections are the bedrock of our democracy and support common-sense, proven ways of reducing barriers to voting and reducing the influence of big money on elections. We fight to reduce New York’s $10 billion/year in taxpayer subsidies to corporations and ensure any subsidies are transparent and justified by facts and careful analysis. We aim to create a state government that is responsible, responsive, and above-board. We champion public integrity measures that reduce the risk of corruption and favor the public interest over the few and well-connected.