But Washington's good luck, in the form of unanticipated revenue pouring into the Treasury, carries with it a dark warning.

An amnesty period in 1996 brought $360 million in unanticipated revenues into state coffers, but it is unclear how much a similar plan would generate next year.

The compromise represented a retreat by Council budget officials, who had estimated earlier in the week that as much as $100 million in unanticipated revenue would be available.

However, it would be a mistake to return to past practices and use the unanticipated revenue to restore those programs or to bring new pressing concerns into the fray.

Different Judgments' But Mr. Cuomo said in an interview today that an influx of unanticipated revenue made it unnecessary.

The growth over the past decade has produced so much unanticipated revenue that the tax rate is being gradually reduced to 20 percent.

But many legislators, particularly Republicans, say they believe that the stronger economy with unanticipated revenues will make it easier to reach a timely budget accord.

He said the strong economy, along with the unanticipated revenues, should make it easier to reach a timely budget deal.

Since Albany has just brought in $2.6 billion more in unanticipated revenue, now is the time for New York to start thinking big again.

The city, he said, can pay the $428 million cost of the labor settlement in the next fiscal year through bond refinancing and unanticipated revenues from taxes, fees and investments.