Welcom to Haulbany!
Seven lucky state government workers earned some Capitol gains when their office pool won a whopping $319 million jackpot in Friday night’s drawing. The big winners are information -technology pros who work in Homes and Community Renewal, said sources. The agency has been slammed with more than $30 million in budget cuts.
The brand-new millionaires hit it big with several Quick Pick tickets bought at Coulson’s News Center, a century-old family-run convenience store in downtown Albany. They have a year to come forward and claim the prize.
Once the workers lay claim to their millions, they have 60 days to decide if they’ll take the money in payments over 25 years, or go for the lump-sum option, which would give them $202.9 million before taxes.
After taxes, — 25 percent, or $50.7 million, to Uncle Sam, and 8.97 percent, or $18.2 million, to the state — the workers will split $134 million, or $19.1 million each.
Albany’s new millionaires may soon be able to give up their jobs tending to servers and computers at DHCR, said Emanuel Biondi, a union representative with the state Public Employees Federation.
“They’re all just middle- class folks,” Biondi said. “I’m thrilled for them.”
They’ve also got a newfound sense of financial security their colleagues lack. Albany’s budget troubles have left many state workers worried that their jobs are in danger.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has threatened as many as 9,800 layoffs statewide and ordered every agency to cut its budget by 10 percent. While sources confirmed general details about the winning workers, they didn’t provide The Post with any of the workers’ names.
One IT supervisor, Duane Averill, said he wasn’t sure of the identities of his lucky colleagues — the IT section has dozens of employees. “I’d love to see them win,” Averill said, laughing. “I might lose my entire unit, though.”
Coulson’s store owner Steve Hutchins, 63, will get a $10,000 bonus from the state Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
“It’s very neat to know someone who comes into my store is going to be very wealthy from a ticket we sold them,” he told The Post. “It makes me feel warm inside.”