BREAKING: NY Senate budget proposes elimination of Olympic Regional Development Authority funding

New York’s state Senate released its spending blueprint today and it includes a devastating proposal:

The zeroing out of all funding for the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

“The Senate eliminates the Executive’s All Funds recommendation of $6.6 million for the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

That money goes to support programs and activities at ORDA’s facilities in Lake Placid and Wilmington, including Whiteface Mountain and the Olympic venues.

It also supports activities at Gore Mountain in North Creek.

ORDA spokesman Jon Lundin tells NCPR that it’s too early to comment on the proposal, but adds that “we’re monitoring it closely.”

According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, ORDA had been bracing for a cut of roughly $1 million under Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget.

Last week, ORDA executive director Ted Blazer told the newspaper that some budget reductions were certain.

“We’ve identified items we could tackle to make up for these losses,” ORDA President Ted Blazer said at a Board of Directors meeting Tuesday.

Among the cuts, ORDA does not plan on increasing its employee payroll, as previously decided. According to Blazer, the rest of the loss will be made up by looking into conservative efforts at the operational level of ORDA venues.

“We’re looking at everything from when we start making snow to when we buy paper towels,” Blazer said. “We’re trying to read the crystal ball and be ahead of the curve.

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NCPR has been in contact with Senator Betty Little’s office today. The Republican is consulting with Democratic leaders.

It’s unclear how this proposal will mesh with Governor Paterson’s spending plan, and the spending priorities of the state Assembly.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.