State Budget Passed: Senator Cooney Announces Wins For Rochester And Monroe County In FY26 NYS Budget

(ALBANY, NY) - Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) today announced some of the benefits residents of Monroe County will begin to see following the passage of New York State’s FY26 budget late last night. 

Senator Cooney said, “The late passage of this year’s budget isn’t the only thing that made this year different from most—we were tasked with crafting a budget that would keep critical services running smoothly amid funding threats and uncertainty from our federal government. But good things are worth waiting for and I’m pleased with the strides we made to support our students, prioritize public safety, and uplift hardworking families. I’m proud to have worked alongside Governor Hochul and my legislative colleagues to get this done and ensure our community is a place where everyone is able to live and thrive.” 

Below are some priorities of Senator Cooney that are included in the FY26 state budget:

Direct Funding to local projects: 

• $59.6 million for the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. With the largest state investment in the Convention Center’s history, this investment will go towards the first large-scale renovation of the building since it opened in 1985. Renovations will include an overhaul of the center’s boilers, HVAC system, and include cosmetic upgrades. 

• $250K for RTS to study a bus rapid transit corridor on Lake Avenue, which would lead to lower wait times and more frequent routes on one of the busiest RTS routes. This is also in alignment with the ROC Vision Zero plan. 

• $15 million for Monroe County’s Transformational Community Care Coordination Project (TC3). This program would bridge the gap for complex care patients who no longer require hospital care, but are unable to secure placement in skilled nursing facilities. TC3 would provide black grants to secure care for these “difficult to place” patients and expand available capacity at skilled nursing facilities. 

• $75,000 for Military Family Camp at YMCA Camp Gorham in the Adirondacks, run by YMCA of Greater Rochester. 

   

Investing in our students: 

• Record $26 billion increase in aid for school districts, $100 million more than was originally included in Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget and ensuring at least a 2% increase for all schools. 
  • This includes a $71,893,518 increase for schools in Senate District 56 compared to last year.
  • RCSD will receive over $613 million, a $50 million increase from last year’s budget.

• $340 million for Universal School Meals, a first of its kind expansion to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students across New York State. 

• $1 million for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a transformation program that boosts child literacy by providing free books to children under the age of five. 

• Increase exposure to high-demand technical career pathways for all students by extending reimbursement to ninth graders for Career Technology Education, a cause Senator Cooney has championed in the Senate since being elected. 

Access to housing: 

• $50 million per year for the Housing Access Voucher Program. Currently, nearly 50% of renters in Monroe County are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. This program would subsidize rent for those most in need and help our families and individuals avoid homelessness. 

• $75 million for public housing authorities outside of New York City, such as the Rochester Housing Authority, to help expand and maintain affordable housing options. 

Bolstering our transportation systems:

• $500K for a high-speed rail corridor study. As Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Senator Cooney has made high-speed rail a top priority. This funding would help New York examine potential route options, including the NYS Thruway, for a high-speed rail line in New York. 

• 4.9% increase for public transit. This would mean an additional $16 million for upstate New York transit systems, like RTS, funds that can be used for more frequent routes and vehicle upgrades. RTS specifically would see about $3.17 million more in operating funds for its system, for a total of $68.5 million in state operating assistance.

• $54 million increase for public transit capital funding for Upstate systems, a 37% increase. These funds help pay for the purchase and repair of buses, building and repairing bus terminals and sheds, and other transit capital needs.  

• $50 million increase to the statewide Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), for a total of $648 million statewide, an 8.36% increase. This would mean an additional $573,390 for Monroe County road improvements and repair, for a total of $7.432 million and an additional $538,407 for local road improvements and repair within municipalities in SD 56, for a districtwide total of $6.979 million.

Uplifting Working Families:

• Child Tax Credit. The state budget would strengthen the tax credit by providing up to $1,000 per child per child under the age of four, and $500 for children ages 4-16. With 50% of Rochester’s children living below the poverty line, Senator Cooney has made it his priority to increase this credit and uplift local families.

• One-time payment of $1,800 given directly to families for children born into poverty. These “baby bonds” would be a shot-in-the-arm payment to provide a boost to families in need.

• Middle Class Tax Cuts, impacting more than 75% of tax filers in New York, would represent the lowest tax rate on the middle class in New York in 70 years.  

Healthcare: 

• $1.4 billion in healthcare investments, including:
  • $425 million for hospitals.
  • $500 million for nursing homes, assisted living programs, and qualified health centers.

  • $500 million for Safety-Net and Distressed Hospitals.

     

Supporting the Asian-American Community: 

• As the fastest growing population in New York State and across the country, the state budget invests $30 million to support initiatives such as combating hate crimes, providing crisis intervention services, and investing in the AAPI Community Development Fund.

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