When Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo takes office in January, he will inherit a multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Capital Tonight's Kaitlyn Ross has more on the challenges that await the next governor.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- If you think New York State is in rough financial shape now, Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo says just wait until next year.

"All the choices will be hard choices next year," Cuomo said.

Citing the mounting budget deficit, Cuomo warned there aren't any quick fixes to the state's financial woes that have been compounded over the years.

"Next year is going to be a tremendously difficult financial problem. The deficit that they're anticipating is between $9 and $10 billion. There is no federal bailout in sight. That will be deficit that will have to be closed after there have already been deficits for two, three years," Cuomo said.

And that's not including the $315 million gap Governor Paterson is trying to close before the end of the year. Amid reports that Cuomo plans to urge legislative leaders to support his predecessor's plan to cut, Paterson says lawmakers shouldn't need to be pressured.

"I don't think the governor-elect needs to be involved at all. I think anybody who's responsible would be in Albany realizing that that is our duty right now," Paterson said.

Paterson acknowledged that Cuomo already has his work cut out for him regardless of whether the legislature makes current year cuts.

"We need to come back and give the new governor a level playing field that he can start in January and then he will try and tackle a $9 billion deficit," said Paterson.

On top of tackling the state's debt, Cuomo is already addressing the need to get New Yorkers back to work to jump start the economy, but don't expect to see many new openings on the state payroll.

"The answer is not to have the state of New York hire people who need jobs and have the tax payers pay. That is not the way out of this problem. It would only make it worse," said Cuomo.

The governor-elect was supportive of Paterson's decision to lay off 900 employees before the end of the year and stressed the importance of private sector growth, but at the end of the day, declined to offer advice to the Paterson administration.

"There's only one governor at a time. And this is Governor David Paterson's position," Cuomo said.

Until January 1st, when Cuomo takes over.