New York’s $254 billion budget for 2025-26 has come under sharp criticism from Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, who says the final deal fails to deliver meaningful fiscal restraint or relief for struggling residents.
In a column released following the delayed passage of the spending plan, Barclay condemned the budget’s massive cost—$13 billion higher than the previous year—and the policy decisions negotiated behind closed doors. “The lack of fiscal relief and restraint provided by this budget is disappointing,” he wrote, calling the measure “an insult to taxpayers.”
The budget, approved more than a month past the April 1 deadline and after 11 temporary spending extensions, faced repeated delays over hot-button policy issues. These included involuntary commitment laws for individuals with severe mental illness, mask usage at protests, and criminal evidence rules. Barclay acknowledged some progress in public safety policy but argued, “The resulting legislation could have been stronger, compared to the substantial time it took legislative leaders to draft it.”
Two spending items drew particular ire from Barclay: bailouts for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a $10 million allocation to support the legal defense of the Attorney General. “The MTA has consistently shown it is unable to manage its budget,” he wrote. “The service commuters are getting is nowhere near commensurate with the enormous sums of money the state has provided the failing agency.”
He also criticized the $10 million defense allocation for Attorney General Letitia James, who faces fraud allegations unrelated to her official duties. “These are the types of measures that get included in a budget negotiated behind closed doors and passed hastily before most lawmakers can even read it,” he said.
Despite his criticism, Barclay acknowledged a handful of wins for his conference. The budget includes long-sought funding to address overdue unemployment insurance debts owed to the federal government—a development he called “a huge victory for small businesses.” He also welcomed an expansion of the Empire State child credit and middle-class tax cuts.
Central New York is set to receive a major investment, with $450 million earmarked for critical upgrades at SUNY Upstate Hospital. Barclay urged residents in the region to celebrate the funding, but cautioned that the state’s broader fiscal picture remains unsustainable.
In his assessment, Barclay warned that spending has increased by $77 billion over the past five years without producing clear benefits for residents. “Despite the state’s runaway spending, the quality of life, economic stability and public safety continue to lag behind other states that spend far less money than we do,” he wrote.
Barclay closed with a warning that unless top officials confront these problems head-on, “we will be having this same conversation next spring.”
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