Spitzer Okays Changes To Budget

ALBANY — Governor Spitzer and legislative leaders yesterday agreed to budget reforms they said will ensure an on-time budget that will disclose all spending, including pork-barrel grants.

The agreement will require the secretive "member items" to be disclosed before they are put to a vote by the Legislature. Member items total more than $200 million a year in grants that were allocated by lawmakers and the governor with little public disclosure.

The measures will also end the long delays of the past when the governor and legislative leaders were unable to agree on how much revenue the state could spend in the coming fiscal year. Under the agreement, the state comptroller will set the available revenue, or "avails," if the governor and legislative leaders fail to agree.

The governor will also provide far more fiscal data to legislative leaders in November to help them plan spending proposals.

The state budget now totals about $115 billion and is due on the April 1 start of the fiscal year. The legislature has approved a spending plan on time the past two years after 20 years of late budgets.

"Clearly we need to move the budget process to the 21st century," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Mr. Spitzer campaigned on a platform that included cutting local property taxes by $6 billion, cutting state spending by $11 billion, providing $4 billion to $6 billion more each year to New York City schools, expanding health care while closing surplus hospitals and clinics, and transforming the upstate economy.

The state expects a $1 billionplus surplus this year but faces deficits estimated at $2.4 billion in the 2007-2008 fiscal year and $4.5 billion in 2008-2009.