With budgets about to get a whole lot tighter, here’s another suggestion for Jamestown officials — see if the state will allow the city to reprogram unspent Downtown Revitalization Initiative money to plug an impending hole in the city budget.

In February, Crystal Surdyk, city development director, told Jamestown Riverfront Management Council officials that the state had given the city permission to reallocate $670,000 in DRI money earmarked for excursion train infrastructure support and rail depot upgrades.

Finding a new purpose for the money made sense back in February before the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York state. In the few weeks since February’s Jamestown Riverfront Management Council meeting, it has become apparent that money is about to get really tight for both New York state and for Jamestown. When the City Council approve the 2020 Jamestown budget, Mayor Sam Teresi confirmed that an additional $1 million in state aid to the city was on its way. That won’t be the case now. The sales tax revenues that seemed like a pretty sure bet back in December are unlikely to materialize now, either.

Unlike the past few years, Gov. Andrew Cuomo won’t be able to swoop in to balance the city’s budget. The state now has even bigger budget problems than the city.

Nothing says the state will release the $670,000 in DRI money that had been budgeted for the excursion trains. Given the billions of dollars in revenue that disappeared in the last month, we’d frankly be surprised if the state ever lets that money be spent locally. If it is released, though, perhaps the state could allow the city to reprogram the revenue into things that will help city residents on a more immediate basis.

It can’t hurt to ask.