Sen. Michael Nozzolio and Assemblyman Joseph Morelle were the biggest spending among the Rochester area’s state legislators during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, an Albany-based, nonpartisan think tank reported Tuesday.

Office expenditures of state Senate and Assembly representatives for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 are posted online at www.SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center for Public Policy announced.

Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls, spent $961,429 for the 12-month period, ranking 12th in spending among 62 state senators, data shows.

Morelle, D-Irondequoit, ranked first in spending at $502,105. David Gantt, D-Rochester, spent $483,903 over 12 months,

Richard Gottlieb, D-Manhattan, was the highest spender in the Assembly at $875,165 for staff, rent, travel, telephone service, office supplies and other expenditures, Empire Center officials said.

The top spender among senators was Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, at more than $1.2 million.

The data covers six-month periods from April 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2008 and Oct. 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009.

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