August 20, 2004

Status of 2004-2005 Adopted Budget
Review of Gubernatorial Vetoes

At the request of the Chancellor, I am writing to advise you of the latest developments regarding the State Budget for the City University of New York. Today, Governor Pataki, exercising his veto authority, made a number changes to the Senate-Assembly Budget agreement.

The Governor vetoed all of the capital budget enhancements for CUNY added by the Legislature to the Executive Budget, totaling $332.9 million. Also vetoed were all of the proposed capital additions for SUNY and the Independent Colleges and Universities.

Regarding the Operating Budget, the Governor vetoed restorations in aid to community colleges, SEEK/CD, and full-time faculty. The proposed increase in operating support for the senior colleges was preserved, although with some restrictions on spending authority. These constraints are currently being analyzed and additional information will be provided as we prepare a more comprehensive analysis of the changes to the budget.

Finally, the Governor preserved the proposed restoration of full funding for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).