Medicare costs and retirement benefits. However, after Griffo was appointed county executive, he was able to balance the 2004 budget while raising taxes by 2.9%. In 2005, he implemented a prescription drug plan that cut drug costs for Oneida county residents by up to 38%. Griffo increased the county sales tax 1.5% in the 2005 budget to cover Medicaid costs. Normally, sales tax revenues are split amongst state, county and townships/cities. However, in order to cover mandated Medicaid costs, the 1.5% increase would all go to the county government. Utica Mayor Tim Julian began claiming a share of the revenues. Griffo remained adamant in refusing to split the revenues. Griffo tried to disarm the situation by offering the city of Utica $800,000 in debt forgiveness, which Julian refused. Griffo eventually won out and the county did not split the extra sales tax revenues with Utica. Griffo helped stop the New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) plan to run electricity from Canada through Oneida County. Concerned citizens feared the project would increase electricity costs in the area and pose health and safety risks to residents. A grassroots effort formed opposing the plan, and Griffo supported that effort with $50,000 of county money. New York State Senate In 2006, Griffo ran for the New York State Senate. Utica Mayor Tim Julian ran against Griffo in the Republican primary for State Senator. While Julian lost the primary, he secured a spot on the Independence Party ticket and continued his campaign. A week before the election, Julian dropped out of the race. Griffo was elected in 2006 to represent the 47th district in the New York State Senate. He replaced Raymond A. Meier, who instead ran unsuccessfully for Congress that year. Among Griffo's significant legislation was a law that created the website ResultsNY.gov, which allowed residents to monitor how state funds were being used. Griffo voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009. In 2011, Griffo voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during a Senate roll-call vote on the Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate passed in a close 33–29 vote. In December 2018, Griffo was appointed deputy minority leader of the State Senate. In January 2019, he was appointed acting minority leader after Minority Leader John J. Flanagan sought treatment for alcoholism. Personal life Griffo is married to Lorraine Griffo, an elementary school teacher. Legal difficulties Griffo was arrested on August