Comptroller: Budget Will Raise Spending

ALBANY — The state budget approved by Governor Spitzer and the Legislature will raise state spending to $123.6 billion, an increase of 8.2% and $2.9 billion more than originally reported, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said yesterday.

The comptroller's annual report said Mr. Spitzer and legislative leaders were able to come in with the lower bottom-line figure in their accounting by shifting spending into the old fiscal year and by not counting as spending everything they should have. Mr. DiNapoli was not pleased with the final product.