ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York's debt load is expected to reach more than $64 billion by the end of next March and nearly $72 billion within the next four years -- adding to an already challenging budget climate for the state. 

New York's total debt among the 50 states is second only to California. Per person, the debt amounts to $3,116 -- triple the amount of the rest of the country.

The state comptroller's office this week sounded the alarm on the debt burden, which Deputy Comptroller Robert Ward says will force the state to spend more on paying it down and less on other areas. 

"Those are dollars that cannot be spent on health care, education, improvements like that, and make it harder to balance the budget," Ward said.

And in some cases, the effect is already being felt, as the state is not spending what Ward says it should on infrastructure like roads and bridges, known as capital expenses. 

"The state actually has been to some extent crimping or limiting the amount its spending on capital projects because the level of debt has been growing," Ward said. 

In a statement, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's budget division pushed backed against the report, arguing that state debt has actually gone down in recent years. But Ward says the state has borrowed elsewhere through entities like the little-known Dormitory Authority to finance projects.  

"That is one example of reasons why it appears the state's debt has gone down, but in the long-term the trend line is very much going up," Ward said.  

The comptroller's office proposed some fixes, including constitutional amendments that would give voters more power over borrowing money and reduce back-door borrowing through public authorities.