By: Elaina Athans

A cry for help in the City of Newburgh. As our Elaina Athans tells us, they want the state to save the city.

A cry for help in the City of Newburgh. As our Elaina Athans tells us, they want the state to save the city.

NEWBURGH, N.Y. -- "We cannot maintain the status quo," said St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital President and CEO Allan Atzrott.

Concerned Newburgh business leaders call on Albany asking for help in the ailing city.

"Newburgh does not have any more time," said Atzrott.

They want the state to takeover Newburgh and legislation is being drafted.

"We have a city that's in a deplorable state. It's going nowhere quickly and they only methodology that they've employed is lets raise taxes and then lets raise taxes and then lets raise taxes," said Atzrott.

This comes after taxpayers were wacked with a 71 percent property tax hike.

"It's kind of hard at the end of the year when you have to fork out an extra $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 just for water," said Torches on the Hudson General Manager Damion Brady.

As it stands now, the city is already partnered up with the state to get its finances in order. Last year, the Fiscal Recovery Act was signed and the city is now giving weekly updates to the State on how money is being spent.

"We have to solve our own problems here," said Mayor Nick Valentine.

Valentine says a state handover is illegal. In fact, he says he asked for that not so long ago. Valentine adds the city's financial house is on stable ground and this year, taxes wouldn't be raised. He says there's a two percent tax cap.

"So you put up with whatever we had to do last year. Now we level off. Our finances are in order ok and we're moving on from here whatever we need to do as a city," said Valentine.

"All these business owners and stuff, they employ a lot of people in the city. They've dumped a lot of money into the city with their businesses. They took a chance with the city and I just hope it works out," said Brady.

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