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Also attached to this agenda item: Resolution184-2025 NYCOM Letter

July XX, 2025 The Honorable Kathy Hochul​ Governor of New York State​ NYS State Capitol Building​ Albany, NY 12224 RE: Request for Signature on Critical EMS Legislation (A.2177/S.1515, A.8086-A/S.7501-A, A.34/S.31) Dear Governor Hochul, On behalf of the undersigned cities and villages of the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM), we respectfully urge you to sign into law three essential bills passed during the 2025 Legislative Session, which are critical to rescuing and revitalizing emergency medical services (EMS) across our State: 1.​ A.2177 (Lupardo)/S.1515 (May) – Excludes EMS expenditures from the real property tax cap, giving municipalities the flexibility to properly fund EMS services without compromising other critical needs.​ 2.​ A.8086-A (Otis)/S.7501-A (Mayer) – Requires counties, cities, towns, and villages to collaboratively develop comprehensive county EMS system plans to assess needs, identify service gaps, and guide future investments.​ 3.​ A.34 (Eachus)/S.31 (Comrie) – Provides toll exemptions on the NYS Thruway for emergency vehicles, enabling faster emergency response times and reducing operational costs for EMS providers. New Yorkers depend on timely, high-quality emergency medical care. Yet across the State, rising costs, staff shortages, and stagnant reimbursement rates have pushed EMS systems to the brink. As local governments on the front lines of public health and safety, we are witnessing the unacceptable consequences of these systemic weaknesses: delayed response times, inadequate coverage, and financial strain on overextended municipal budgets. These three bills, taken together, represent meaningful and pragmatic steps toward stabilizing and strengthening EMS in New York. They provide municipalities with the tools to plan more effectively, fund more sustainably, and respond more efficiently in times of crisis. We are deeply grateful to the Legislature for recognizing the urgency of this crisis through the passage of these bills. Now, we call on you to complete this work by signing them into law. Doing so will reaffirm New York’s commitment to public health, emergency response, and the safety of our communities and our residents. Thank you for your continued dedication to the well-being of New Yorkers.