micheal ranzenhofer

Press release:

New York State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has been appointed to two joint budget subcommittees: Education and Transportation. Subcommittees, composed of both members of the State Senate and State Assembly, will work this week to finalize the details of the 2017-18 State Budget.

“The Senate’s one-house budget makes a record level of investment in education, while committing more funding to repair local roads and bridges,” Ranzenhofer said.

“It is so important for Western New York to receive its fair share of state funding for our local school districts and local infrastructure projects. I will be advocating, as a member of these subcommittees, to get these two proposals in the final fiscal plan.”

Both the Senate and Assembly passed separate one-house budget resolutions last week. The Senate plan restrains spending growth, rejects new taxes and fees and delivers small business tax relief.

The highlights of the Senate proposal include:

• Rejecting $800 million in new taxes and fees proposed by Governor Cuomo;
• Expanding the existing Personal Income Tax exemptions for small businesses and small farms and reducing the Corporate Franchise Tax business income tax rate from 6.5 percent to 2.5 percent over a two-year period;
• Bringing ride-sharing services to Upstate New York.

The Senate budget proposal also makes a record level of investment in local infrastructure projects. Under the plan, state funding for the Local BRIDGE NY program would increase by $50 million for a total of $150 million. State funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway (CHIPS) program would be increased by $75 million for a total of $513 million.

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $100,000 in state funding to offset a part of the total cost of a new fire truck for the South Byron Volunteer Fire Company.

“The South Byron Volunteer Fire Company plays a vital role in our community, and I am committed to securing the necessary resources so that our volunteer firefighters are able to get the job done,” Ranzenhofer said. “Today’s announced state investment will help to preserve the life-saving services our firefighters provide to residents.”

The new fire truck will replace a 20-year-old 1996 Front Line Engine. The average lifespan of a fire engine is 20 years.

“As a small fire company, we have a small budget with limited resources. Without this state funding, we would have been unable to cover the total cost of a new fire truck. We are so grateful that Senator Ranzenhofer is helping us to reach our goal,” said South Byron Volunteer Fire Company President Dean L. Bates. 

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $250,000 in state funding to assist with the construction of the Ellicott Trail, the first pedestrian and bicycle trail within Genesee County.

The proposed 4.6-mile multi-modal pedestrian and bicyclist trail will provide a new route through the City and Town of Batavia, including off-road sections, to offer more efficient and safer options for travelers.

“I am pleased to have been able to secure funding for the Town and City of Batavia to construct the Ellicott Trail. The trail will connect major activity centers and commerce, while offering a new, safer way for residents to get around in the community,” Ranzenhofer said.

New off-road trail sections will improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists as they will not need to compete with vehicular traffic. In addition, the on-road sections will be signed and striped for bicyclists to alert motorists; crosswalks at key intersections will also be signed, and in some instances enhanced, to emphasize pedestrian crossings along the route.

"I’m extremely pleased with the efforts of the City and Town collaborators with the Senator’s office to help make this project a reality. This will be a first of its kind in Genesee County, and just the beginning of what will hopefully be a County-wide trail," said Town Supervisor Greg Post.

“This has been a collaborative effort from the beginning, and we are extremely pleased to have an asset like the Ellicott Trail come through the center of our City. The Ellicott Trail, once constructed, will be a permanent fixture that will bring commerce and recreational users to our County for years to come,” said City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr.

Ranzenhofer secured the funding through the State and Municipal Facilities Grant Program. Construction of the new trail is expected to start early next year and be completed by the end of 2017. The total cost of the project is $1.36 million.

In 2014, the Town of Batavia, in partnership with the City, received $1 million in federal funding, through the Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP), to complete a 4.6-mile multi-modal pedestrian and bicyclist trail. The TEP program required a $341,500 local match to complete the project. Senator Ranzenhofer’s grant will be used to offset the local match.

Press release:

The New York State Senate has passed legislation that completely abolishes the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) this year. Nearly $434 million in GEA cuts remain for schools in 2016-17.

Senator Michael Ranzenhofer voted in favor of the bill.

“One of the top priorities for this Legislative Session is to get rid of the GEA budgets cuts. I am proud to support the Senate-approved legislation as the first order of business. It’s time for the Assembly Democrats to join with us,” Ranzenhofer said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a phase-out of the GEA over two years during his State of the State address.

“We must end the disastrous GEA this year. The time is overdue to eliminate the GEA, along with its devastating impact on funding for public schools,” Ranzenhofer said. “Abolishing the GEA will finally restore millions of dollars in state aid to our schools and build a better future for our children.”

The GEA was first imposed in 2010 by former Governor David Paterson and the Democrats who controlled the Senate and Assembly. Senator Ranzenhofer voted against the GEA because it made severe cuts to the bottom lines of school districts in Western New York. Since it was first approved, Senator Ranzenhofer has been leading the charge to eradicate the GEA and deliver major funding increases to help mitigate its devastating impact on education.

In the past five years, the GEA cuts have been reduced by approximately 85 percent. Last year alone, Senator Ranzenhofer successfully pushed for an additional $603 million to help schools overcome the GEA challenge.

The bill has been sent to the State Assembly.

From Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“A plan to expand broadband Internet access will be beneficial to the more rural parts of my district, and I look forward to hearing more about the proposal. I am concerned that Gov. Cuomo’s small-business tax cut plan is not structured in a manner that allows business owners to expand and hire more employees. The proposed cut is less than one-10th of what the legislature gave to Hollywood film executives to entice them to produce movies in New York State. We need to get our priorities straight and protect family-owned businesses that have been in New York for generations. Furthermore, I am concerned that the governor’s plan does not properly fund agriculture in a way that will protect our farmers and allow their businesses to stay in New York and be passed down from generation to generation.”

From State Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has issued the following statement in response to Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address and Executive budget proposal:

“In the coming days and weeks, I will be going over the Executive budget proposal with a fine-tooth comb. I am pleased that the Governor has proposed major investments in infrastructure, a new property tax relief program and expanding broadband access in rural communities.” 

“For four years, State budgets have passed on time that closed billions of dollars in deficits by controlling spending and reduced taxes for small businesses and middle-class families.  Our priorities should be to build on this progress, including strengthening our economy, ensuring our children receive a first-rate education and repealing burdensome regulations.”

“The 2015-16 Legislative Session presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to keep New York State moving forward. We cannot afford to allow it to be squandered.”

If you missed the speech, here's coverage from The New York Times.