The Buffalo Chronicle
Thomas DiNapoli
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Albany’s $9 billion surplus cuts next year’s budget gap to $2.9 billion, two days before voters pick who spends it
The state’s Mid-Year Update raises tax revenue by $8.1 billion and cuts next year’s gap from $6.4 billion to $2.9 billion. What it means for the governor’s race, the watchdogs’ warnings, and…
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Albany installs a deli-counter ticket machine for its $9 billion surplus, and Western New York pulls No. 4,117
Satire: New York finds $9 billion it didn’t expect, and the line for it runs down State Street. Buffalo, as usual, is near the back.
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State audits flag a $346,000 fire hall overrun in Lancaster, questioned meal spending in Le Roy and lapsed school door badges across WNY
Comptroller audits found Town Line Fire Department spent $1.65 million on a station expansion budgeted at $1 million, Le Roy Fire District paid about $17,000 auditors call unnecessary, and Batavia, Holley and…
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Western New York has one in nine of the state’s cannabis shops but gets about one in 15 dollars of the local pot tax
As New York’s legal cannabis market passes $4.1 billion in sales, Comptroller data show WNY’s 78 dispensaries brought local governments $2.23 million in the first half of 2026, about $28,600 a store…
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Hochul’s budget office warns the data center backlash, including her own pause, could cool the AI boom paying New York’s bills
The state budget director told agencies to hold 2028 requests flat and warned that government scrutiny of AI infrastructure could slow the investment wave behind New York’s $7.3 billion revenue surprise.
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Albany is running $9.7 billion ahead of plan. Its own books say Buffalo shouldn’t count on it lasting
Wall Street’s record run left New York’s General Fund $9.7 billion above projections at midyear. The state’s financial plan still shows $31.7 billion in gaps ahead, and Erie County and Buffalo have…
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Hochul should stop vetoing on-time pay for the nonprofits that do New York’s work
New York signs three of every four nonprofit contracts late, by the comptroller’s count. Gov. Kathy Hochul should sign this year’s prompt-pay bills, and lawmakers should be ready to override a third…
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Change Buffalo PAC urges governor to help put control board back in charge of city finances
Change Buffalo PAC wants the governor to press the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority to reimpose a control period. Under state law, only the board can make that call, and Mayor Sean Ryan,…
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Western New York’s SNAP rolls fell nearly 10 percent in a year. Albany’s free school lunch promise may pay the price
State data show 20,909 fewer Western New Yorkers on SNAP than a year ago. Because benefit rolls decide how much Washington pays for school meals, the comptroller warns New York’s universal lunch…
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Still waiting on your $200 energy rebate? Most New Yorkers are, and the checks keep coming through December
Only 3 million of 8.2 million POWER checks had arrived by mid-October. Here’s who qualifies, why your neighbor may get one first, and what the $1 billion payout means for a state…
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Hotels chosen for convenience and self-approved credit cards: what four new audits found in Western New York
Audits of the Snyder Fire District, Lancaster’s Twin District fire company, the City of Olean and Erie County’s cash office found weak checks on receipts, wire transfers and financial reports. Here’s what…
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New York is $7.3 billion ahead of its tax forecast at midyear. Watchdogs are split on what to do with it
Comptroller DiNapoli reports state tax receipts ran $7.3 billion above projections through September, driven by Wall Street and business taxes, even as $31.7 billion in out-year budget gaps loom.
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DiNapoli is being urged to acquire Niagara Falls Redevelopment, LLC
Urban planners and economic development experts are urging Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to invest in Niagara Falls by acquiring Niagara Falls Redevelopment, LLC, which controls more than 140 acres of prime real estate in…
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State tax receipts strong again in November, but jobs recovery remains slow
BY E.J. McMAHON New York State’s tax receipts in November were a whopping $800 million above Governor Andrew Cuomo’s projections for the month—further evidence that the current-year budget gap is probably much…
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State pension fund lost money in 2020, pointing to higher costs ahead
BY E.J. McMAHON New York State’s biggest public pension fund lost money on its investments during the fiscal year that ended March 31—a completely unsurprising result, given the coronavirus crisis and its…
