Core Mission Budgeting

2008-09 Agency Core Mission Budgeting Reports

For years, state government spending has increased at an exponential rate without a fundamental reevaluation of how taxpayer money is spent. Governor Paterson believes that given our current fiscal crisis, we simply cannot continue this kind of budgetary inertia.  As such, he has directed his agencies to help separate the critical functions of state government from those that we can no longer afford. This will help the state direct its limited resources to the highest priority projects.

To begin this process, earlier this year, for the first time in history, Governor Paterson directed every state agency commissioner to create a comprehensive inventory of all of the programs that they administer, including the dollars spent and employees dedicated to each activity. He further charged commissioners to designate whether they believe each program had a high, medium, or low relation to the agency’s core mission.

These designations represent policy advice from commissioners to Governor Paterson, and there may be many different interpretations of how various programs should be characterized.  Moreover, they do not indicate what actions will ultimately be taken in Governor Paterson’s Executive Budget proposal to the Legislature. Those decisions will be made after a thorough and deliberative budget development process.

It should also be noted that even programs designated as having a low relation to an agency’s core mission may still be worthy initiatives with laudable goals. But in this time of unprecedented fiscal challenges, even many worthy programs will experience reductions in funding. Closing the state’s substantial budget deficits will require many difficult decisions. And these core mission reports will help policymakers do so in a more thoughtful and informed manner.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Adirondack Park Agency (PDF)
• Aging, Office for the (PDF)
• Agriculture and Markets, Department of (PDF)
• Alcoholic Beverage Control, Division of (PDF)
• Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services, Office of (PDF)
• Authority Budget Office (PDF)
• Arts, Council on the (PDF)

B

• Banking, Department of (PDF)
• Budget, Division of the (PDF)

C

• Children and Family Services, Office of (PDF)
• Civil Service, Department of (PDF)
• Consumer Protection Board (PDF)
• Correctional Services, Department of (PDF)
• Corrections, State Commission of (PDF)
• Crime Victims Board (PDF)
• Criminal Justice Services, Division of (PDF)

D

• Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, NYS (PDF)

E

• Economic Development, Department of (PDF)
• Elections, State Board of (PDF)
• Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation (PDF)
• Empire State Development Corporation (PDF)
• Employee Relations, Governor’s Office of (PDF)
• Energy Research and Development Authority, NYS (PDF)
• Environmental Conservation, Department of (PDF)
• Environmental Facilities Corporation (PDF)
• Executive Chamber, NYS (PDF)

F

• Financial Control Board, NYS (PDF)

G

• General Services, Office of (PDF)
• Greenway Heritage Conservancy (PDF)

H

• Health, Department of (PDF)
• Higher Education Services Corporation (PDF)
• Homeland Security, Office of (PDF)
• Housing and Community Renewal, Division of (PDF)
• Hudson Valley Greenway (PDF)
• Human Rights, Division of (PDF)

I

• Inspector General, Office of the (PDF)
• Insurance Department, NYS (PDF)

J

• Judicial Conduct, Commission on (PDF)

L

• Labor, Department of (PDF)
• Lake George Park Commission (PDF)
• Lottery, Division of (PDF)

M

• Medicaid Inspector General, Office of the (PDF)
• Mental Health, Office of (PDF)
• Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities, Office of (PDF)
• Military & Naval Affairs, Division of (PDF)
• Motor Vehicles, Department of (PDF)

N

• NE Queens Nature Preserve Commission (PDF)

O

• Olympic Regional Development Authority (PDF)

P

• Parks, Recreation & Historical Preserve, Office of (PDF)
• Parole, Division of (PDF)
• Prevention of Domestic Violence, Office for the (PDF)
• Probation & Correctional Alternatives, Division of (PDF)
• Public Employment Relations Board (PDF)
• Public Integrity, Commission on (PDF)
• Public Service, Department of (PDF)

Q

• Quality of Care & Advocate for Persons w/ Disabilities (PDF)

R

• Racing & Wagering Board, NYS (PDF)
• Real Property, Office of (PDF)
• Regulatory Reform, Governor’s Office of (PDF)

S

• Science, Technology, and Research, NYS Foundation for (PDF)
• State, Department of (PDF)
• State Police (PDF)

T

• Tax & Finance, Department of (PDF)
• Tax Appeals, Division of (PDF)
• Technology, Office for (PDF)
• Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of (PDF)
• Theater Institute, NYS (PDF)
• Transportation, Department of (PDF)
• Tug Hill Commission (PDF)

V

• Veterans Affairs, Division of (PDF)

W

• Welfare Inspector General, Office of (PDF)
• Workers Compensation Board (PDF)