© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cuomo proposes investing $200 million in upstate NY airports

Tom Magnarelli
/
WRVO News
Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the implosion of the Grandstand at the New York State Fair.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 2016 is going to be a big year for upstate New York. Cuomo made an appearance at the implosion of the Grandstand at the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday. He said he wants to continue to "focus like a laser" on upstate New York this year.

“It’s a beginning of a new year," Cuomo said. "It’s a beginning of a new environment, a new economy in upstate New York.”

The governor announced a new proposal to invest $200 million in upstate airports. Several northern and central New York airports would be eligible for grants.

“To make them state-of-the-art so we get more flights, more business coming into upstate New York,” Cuomo said.

Last week, the governor announced he wants to cut taxes including lowering the tax rate for small businesses from 6 percent down to 4.5 percent and he wants to keep the tolls on the thruway at the current level and include no tolls for agriculture vehicles.

Cuomo is scheduled to unveil his state budget proposal in his State of the State speech on Wednesday.

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.