It was "Tin Cup Day" at the state Capitol on Tuesday, when mayors from the state's major cities and others representing local governments shared their needs with state lawmakers as they work on the state budget.

It was Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan’s final budget hearing in the role, and she spent it continuing a yearslong pursuit for a consistent framework for state funding going to localities. AIM, or AID to Municipalities, are unrestricted state funds that cities can put toward various community needs like local law enforcement and infrastructure improvements.

“Governor Hochul has heard our plea and so we did receive more AIM last year. She put that in her budget this year. We’re looking for a way to have more certainly and permanency behind it,” she said.

Acting Buffalo Mayor Christopher Scanlon said that would ideally be a combination of a funding bump tied to a regular increase. 

“Indexing which takes into account any rates of inflation, the cost of doing business at the city level, it grows every year,” he said.

Also top of mind was uncertainty when it comes to funding coming from the federal government, and the impact it could have on local services. 

“Interruptions of funding streams that support daily city operations, and in particular our most vulnerable residents, would have a devastating impact on Syracuse,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh.

Cities, including Syracuse and Buffalo, were also questioned over their own budget shortfalls.

“We’re operating with about a $20 million dollar structural deficit,” Walsh told lawmakers.

Scanlon acknowledged a deficit of tens of millions of dollars heading into next year in Buffalo, and said he plans to address it, in part, through a property tax increase. 

“We’re going to do things internally and then will, hopefully, get some assistance from the state to do things legislatively to make sure we can help ourselves,” he said.

For Albany, the perennial issue of Capital Cities Funding also could be rolling toward a permanent solution. The funding comes in the form of extra money to compensate for the city’s role as the state capital and the fact that massive amounts of state-owned property, including the nearly 100-acre Empire State Plaza, are off the tax rolls.

Sheehan told Spectrum News 1 she hopes the issue can be put to rest so the money will be something her successor can depend on.

“There’s a commitment this year to making it permanent, so we want to make sure that’s being done in a way that gives our residents peace of mind of knowing that this gap that has existed for decades and decades and decades has finally been addressed,” she said.

When it comes to an additional $400 million earmarked for development projects in Albany, including a revamp of the state museum and reimagining the downtown area post-pandemic, Sheehan said she experienced no significant pushback from lawmakers. 

“I think they see the challenges we have, especially with a work force that is predominantly hybrid,” she said. “On a given day, only half of the workforce is sitting at their desks, so we’ve got to be able to flex and make changes.”