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Syracuse Conference

Law Passes to Penalize Unauthorized Ground Transportation

Do Airport’s Benefits
Outweigh Costs?

State Capitol Report

Big Election Year for New York Politics

Solid Peer Training Review

NYAMA Testifies Before NY
City Council

Thank you to our 2009 Fall Conference Sponsors

Platinum
Syracuse Hancock International Airport

Gold
C&S Engineers
McFarland-Johnson

Silver
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
CHA
DY Consultants
Greater Rochester International Airport
Passero Associates
Port Authority of NY & NJ
Sensis Corporation

Bronze
BelAir Electric
Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP
ESCO Zodiac Aerospace
Fortbrand Services
Hi-Lite Markings
InterVISTAS Consulting
National Business Aviation Association R.A. Wiedemann & Associates, Inc.
SheltAir Aviation Services
Stantec
URS Corporation

Other Sponsors
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Erect-A-Tube
Metropolitan Development Association
of CNY

The Board of Directors would like to extend an invitation to all NYAMA members to attend a future board meeting. Please contact NYAMA Headquarters at (518) 432-9973 or info@nyama.com to see how you can get involved in leadership in the only organization in New York State dedicated solely to the needs of the aviation industry.

Please let us know if you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors.

New York Aviation
Management Association
119 Washington Avenue
Suite 300
Albany, NY 12210

518 432-9973 ph
518 432-1712 fx
info@nyama.com
www.nyama.com

Recently, NYAMA launched its own fan page and already has over 100 fans!

Our intent is to use the tool to network members and others interested in furthering aviation interests in New York. We will announce NYAMA events and request support for legislative efforts from time to time.

Resources to further discussion are also being posted. However, we hope that everyone will feel free to chat about any aviation topic of interest.

Feel free to send any comments or contributions for posting online to us at info@nyama.com.

State Capitol Report

State Budget—Five Year Capital Plan
After meeting with the Division of the Budget and the Governor’s office regarding the 5 Year Capital Plan, it is apparent that there is tremendous uncertainty on the part of the Administration on how they intend to proceed with funding transportation. It is possible that a 2 year plan for transportation (including aviation) may be contemplated as an alternative to a longer plan. In either case, it is quite possible that the Governor will not include funding in the budget for a transportation funding plan at all, and essentially “punt” the issue to the legislature.

NYAMA President Joel Russell presented testimony on the 5 Year Capital Plan before the Assembly Transportation Committee on November 12th and again before the Senate Transportation Committee on November 23rd.

NYAMA continues to argue that the needs of aviation over the next 5 years well exceeds $145 million—a level of funding similar to that for aviation over the last 5 years. Yet incredibly, the DOT only proposes $101 million for aviation; an amount the aviation industry finds totally inadequate. Another concern which has attracted little attention thus far is that the state is beginning to bump up against its bond cap, which will make it that much more difficult to buy time by borrowing.

The Lt. Governor is now saying that the deficit for next year will be $10 billion! Every month, state revenues continue to come in below projections. With next year being an election year, it will be even harder for the legislature to make the hard choices necessary to balance the budget.

While the Governor has remained adamantly opposed to raising taxes as a way out, the legislature increased taxes and fees this year over the Governor’s objections, so tax increases may likely be part of any final budget deal by April.

Aviation Tax Reform—The Battle Continues
NYAMA believes that the state’s fiscal crisis provides opportunity, and that pro-aviation business tax reform should be a priority for the state in 2010. With the release of the recent study by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, “A Review of the Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Private Aircraft Parts and Service,” the exemption has proved to be a tremendous success resulting in an expansion of aviation maintenance and repair businesses and the creation of jobs here in New York. Armed with this evidence, the legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law, a bill that repealed the sunset on this tax exemption and made the exemption permanent.

NYAMA now advocates, via the “Aviation Jobs Bill,” to extend this proven job-stimulus effort to include the purchase of aircraft. This tax law change is critical. New York State is at a significant competitive disadvantage with regard to attracting sales and basing aircraft in New York and this legislation promises to reverse this situation and create long-term, sustainable jobs and enhanced revenues to the state.

Over the last few weeks, NYAMA has met with the Governor’s economic development staff, key legislative sponsors, the Division of the Budget, and has contacted Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch in an effort to make the Aviation Jobs Bill part of an overall economic development program in the Executive Budget proposal due out later this month. Should this tax reform not make it into the Governor’s budget proposal, NYAMA will be lobbying our representatives in the legislature during the budget process and at our upcoming Advocacy Day scheduled March 23, 2010 to include our bill language as part of the final adopted state budget.