Hynes asks Cuomo for some face time
In his ongoing effort to roll back a proposed 17.1 percent cut in state aid to Shelter Island School Superintendent Michael Hynes has sent an invitation to Governor Andrew Cuomo for a meeting.
The invitation comes as no surprise. Dr. Hynes has spent the last week pleading his case to state legislators and said when he heard about the projected cut, he wanted a sit-down with the governor.
While the governor’s overall budget proposal contained an approximate 3 percent increase in state aid, the additional money was projected to go to New York City and upstate districts, while cuts would affect many Long Island districts, including all on the East End.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr.( I-Sag Harbor), responding to Dr. Hynes request and a letter from social studies teacher Brian Doelger, announced he objected to the projected cut.
Mr. Thiele planned to make the case to his legislative colleagues for restoration of high tax aid that helped balance a formula based on property values and incomes. The high tax aid that has been part of the formula in the past helps districts like Shelter Island where residents have a high cost of living, including higher taxes than are assessed to residents in many other parts of the state.
