国际英语新闻：New York Governor cuts his pay to cope with state fiscal challenges

NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his top aides will take a 5-percent pay cut to help restore the state fiscal health, his office announced on Monday.

Cuomo, who took office on Jan. 1, will return to the state treasury 5 percent of his annual salary of 179,000 U.S. dollars. The salary for the Governor is set by state law and has not changed since 1999.

He also cut the pay of other senior state officials, including Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, as well as the governor's secretary, counsel, director of state operations, counselor and chief of staff.

"Change starts at the top and we will lead by example," Cuomo said in a statement. "Families and business owners in every corner of the state have learned to do more with less in order to live within their means and government must do the same."

Cuomo faces a budget gap of 9 billion U.S. dollars in fiscal 2012, which begins April 1.