The Committee to Save New York, a monied collection of groups formed to back Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s fiscal agenda, spent $2.3 million lobbying state government in May and June, its filing with the Commission on Public Integrity shows.

All told, the group’s lobbying effort amount to about $9.7 million in advertisements, radio spots and TV commercials aimed at persuading the public to go along with a 2 percent property tax cap, a reduced budget and spending cuts.

By contrast, another Cuomo-backed group, New Yorkers United For Marriage, spent $1.8 million lobbying for same-sex marriage. The American Beverage Association spent — $8.5 million — in a single two-month period in 2010, when the ultimately failed wine in grocery stores issue was being heavily pushed.

Not surprisingly, the majority of Save New York’s money in May and June — more than $2.1 million — was spent on television and radio spots.

The PR firms of Dan Klores was paid $20,682 and DKC was tagged for about $20,4447.

The May through June filing was actually the smallest amount of money spent by the committee during the filing period.

The committee spent $4.8 million in March and April, which was the height of the budget debate, and an additional $2.6 million in January and February.

The group, which included Cuomo allies H. Carl McCall and Bill Cunningham, backed the governor on closing a $10 billion budget deficit without tax increases.

The group was initially hesitant to register as designated lobbyists, but relented after some criticism from good-government groups.

And Save New York’s efforts were largely successful: Cuomo won his tax cap and spending cuts, along with successfully resisting the calls from the liberal wing of the party to extend the life of a surcharge on those making $250,000 and more.

Groups like Save New York have become increasingly common in Albany, as lobbying as morphed into a collection of “grassroots” third-party coalition that Common Cause has knocked for lacking transparency by hiding donors.

The group wrote earlier this year in its report “Lifting the Veil” on Save NY:

“Spending over $7.4 million in January-April 2011 on advertising, canvassing, voter direct mailing and social media, The Committee to Save NY marks the full engagement of business interests in the new tactics of election-style grassroots campaigning on legislative issues.”

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