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Mayor Warren pleased about Gov. Cuomo's budget proposal

 Downtown Rochester skyline view.
Max Schulte
/
WXXI News
Downtown Rochester skyline view.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is pleased with some initiatives and budget plans outlined  by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.

Cuomo is proposing another $25 million in state aid toward anti-poverty efforts in Rochester.

That includes $10 million for the Rochester Revitalization Fund, which the mayor says will help support entrepreneurship in the city.

“What we’ve recognized is that not everybody wants a job, they want to create, they want to innovate and Rochester is known for innovation and we want to be able to support our residents to be able to innovate and access capital; we also want to be able to support our businesses in their ability to grow,” Warren told WXXI News.

If approved by the state, the rest of the funding would help establish a network of social service agencies, with the idea it will put special emphasis on helping people in poverty.

Warren also said her administration will support the Governor and Legislature’s efforts to ensure that the benefits of marijuana legalization reach our City and poorer communities.

New York would become the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults under a proposal unveiled by Cuomo. 

The measure would permit personal use as well as retail sales of the drug. Marijuana taxes would raise an estimated $300 million a year, Cuomo said. Cities and counties could prohibit retail pot shops within their boundaries if they choose. 

Mayor Warren does not expect the city to want to opt out of that plan. But she does want to make sure that revenues that come in from taxing marijuana help communities, like Rochester, that have been particularly impacted by issues involving drugs.

“To me, (it) means investment in job creation, investment in those neighborhoods as far as housing and businesses and really in the infrastructure so they can turn themselves around. I see that as a win-win for the communities that were most impacted but also for cities that have been affected most by the drug use.”

Warren says the city will support sensible regulations to deny access to children.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.