The budget director for the Hochul Administration, Robert Mujica, is stepping down to take up a new position in Puerto Rico.
Mujica was appointed back in 2015 by former Governor Andrew Cuomo. He will leave to be the head of Puerto Rico’s Financial Management and Oversight Board. Rumors of his departure have been swirling for a couple of months, according to the Times Union.
Insiders within the administration believe that he will be replaced with Sandra L. Beattie, the first deputy budget director. Beattie’s experience includes working for Deloitte Consulting. This firm has been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with New York.
The administration did not comment much before his departure was announced. Hochul said that him leaving was news to her when asked on October 4.
“Robert’s more than 25 years of service to New York state have been incredibly valuable, and I’m so glad that our neighbors in Puerto Rico will benefit from his considerable talents,” Hochul said.
“I am deeply grateful for his help in guiding my administration through our first budget process, in which we delivered historic wins for communities across New York state and also budgeted prudently, with a record amount in reserves,” she added.
Mujica stated that his goal with Puerto Rico is to help restore financial stability and try to stop them from heading toward bankruptcy. When the board reached out to him with the opportunity, he took it. He spent summers there as a child with his parents and grandparents who are from the north coastal town of Arecibo.
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