ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, sharply criticized Governor Kathy Hochul’s FY 2027 Executive Budget, warning that it locks New York into long-term fiscal risk by expanding spending faster than economic growth, while continuing to pour taxpayer dollars into systems plagued by waste, abuse, and mismanagement.
“At nearly $260 billion, this budget is billions larger than last year and continues Albany’s pattern of unchecked spending,” said Joseph Hernandez. “The result is more waste, more risk, and fewer safeguards for taxpayers.”
Hernandez highlighted Medicaid as the fastest-growing pressure point in the budget.
“State-funded Medicaid spending rises to approximately $38.7 billion, a double-digit increase in a single year, even though New York already spends nearly 45% more per person than the national average,” Hernandez said. “Instead of cracking down on fraud and abuse, Albany keeps expanding programs like CDPAP, where costs have exploded and $1.2 billion in fraud has already been identified.”
He also criticized continued spending on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“Nearly $10 billion flows to the MTA, an authority that has failed audits, resisted transparency, and continues to demand more taxpayer money while reliability declines and costs spiral,” Hernandez said. “New Yorkers are paying more for less, and Albany’s response is always the same: send more money without fixing the system.”
The budget maintains long-term commitments to the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan, creating future operating and debt-service costs, even as the State projects out-year deficits of up to $12.5 billion and federal aid declines.
Hernandez said the budget reflects years of failed oversight.
“This budget reflects years of inaction from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who has allowed Medicaid fraud to fester and MTA spending to spiral without meaningful accountability,” Hernandez said. “The Comptroller’s office should be an independent watchdog, not a rubber stamp. New York does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending, management, and accountability problem, and as Comptroller I will aggressively audit spending, expose fraud and abuse, and enforce real accountability.”
To learn more about Joseph Hernandez’s plan to protect taxpayers, visit hernandezforny.com.