Local leaders call for Rochester to receive “long-overdue” funding from state budget

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — State Senator Samra Brouk and Mayor Malik Evans say the city needs to receive “long-overdue” funding in the New York State Budget.

They say one of the most significant revenue streams is through the Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AID) program. The funding has played significant roles in upstate New York’s development since its inception in 2006.

However, a report compiled by Senator Brouk’s office shows that Rochester has received significantly less funding per capita than its counterpart cities of Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany.

“Our extreme poverty is the highest in the state and one of the top highest in the nation,” said Assemblywoman Sarah Clark of the 136th District. “And part of that has to do with when this formula was locked in, how it was locked in, what Rochester looked like then compared to how it looks today.”

The results are widespread. State data shows that Rochester is home to three of five of New York’s poorest zip codes, has a child poverty rate of nearly 50%, and has seen more violence per capita than other upstate cities.