When it comes to the struggling MTA, Gov. Cuomo wants all the power and only half the responsibility for its debt.
Cuomo-appointed Budget Director Robert Mujica argued in a statement released by the governor’s office Sunday that his boss should be given absolute control over the struggling transportation authority — while the city and state split its debt 50-50.
Cuomo already names the largest share of the board’s 17 members: six, including its chairman. He also is one of four pols who enjoys veto power over the agency’s budget. The other three are the mayor, Assembly speaker and state Senate majority leader.
But Mujica insisted that’s not enough sway and argued that Cuomo should be given a majority of board appointments while enjoying sole veto and hiring power.
“As the Governor has said, and repeats this legislative session, if the Legislature gives the Governor authority, he would accept the responsibility. But he would only take responsibility with authority,” Mujica said in the press release.
“Basic executive authority would be a majority of the Board appointees, no independent unilateral vetoes of the budget by other elected officials, and hiring/firing and organizational authority. Nothing could be more reasonable, and no credible executive would require less.”
But Cuomo only wants the state to pay for half the agency’s debt.
Mujica reiterated Cuomo’s long-running demand that legislators approve congestion pricing to help fill MTA coffers — and then force the city to pay for half of “any funding shortfall” afterward.
“In short, the Legislature should pass congestion pricing and require the City and State to split any funding shortfall and also give the Governor operational responsibility,” Mujica wrote.
Good-government advocates blasted the power play.
“The outrageous thing is that Cuomo is trying to force the city to pay way more for even less influence over the subways,” said John Kaehny, executive director of accountability group Reinvent Albany.
“The city should be worried. The governor wants to stick the city with huge costs, and he’s been trying to create the political groundwork for the last few years to do it.”
It was not immediately clear whether Mujica was referring to the agency’s operating budget, which is expected to have a $1 billion annual deficit by 2020 — or the capital budget, which will be responsible for funding a new Fast Forward modernization effort expected to cost $37 billion.
Either way, congestion pricing is only expected to raise about $1 billion a year.
Neither the governor’s office nor City Hall responded to requests for comment.