The Stillwater Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution at its meeting on March 17 in support of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push for $100 million in Temporary Municipal Assistance (TMA) to assist municipalities outside New York City in relieving immediate fiscal stress.

The resolution also calls on the NYS Legislature to include this funding, at minimal, in the adopted state budget “to help address fiscal challenges and maintain essential services for residents.”

“Local governments across New York State continue to face mounting fiscal pressures driven by inflation, increased service demands, infrastructure needs, and rising operational costs, while striving to provide relief to taxpayers amid a rising cost of living,” the resolution stated.

“Further, the Village of Stillwater calls upon the governor and the State Legislature to develop a more permanent and predictable solution for unrestricted municipal aid to ensure long-term fiscal stability for New York’s local governments.”

Copies of this resolution have been submitted to the governor’s office and to Stillwater local state representatives for action.

The Governor, last month, called for adding $100 million in additional Temporary Municipal Assistance to her Executive Budget proposal, tripling the total to $150 million for FY 2027. This funding builds on the State’s Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) program which provides state aid to cities, towns and villages outside of New York City and includes $17.2 million for municipalities within the Capital District area.

“Having spent years in local government, I understand the unique challenges our local leaders are experiencing, which is why my Administration has worked closely with municipalities across the state to increase financial support from the State,” Governor Hochul said. “We want all of New York’s municipalities to succeed, and this funding is crucial to putting all of our cities, towns and villages on stronger financial footing and allowing them to keep their residents safe and continue providing the vital services they rely on.”