tax-cap-150x150-3928769In 2011, New York enacted a 2 percent cap on annual local property tax levies. A recent analysis by the Empire Center revealed that school property taxes have grown at an average annual rate of 2.2 percent per year in the four years since the cap was created, down from 6 percent per year in the thirty years prior. The authors also found that, when new construction was removed, school tax levies grew slower than inflation in every region of the state outside New York City, which was not affected by the cap.

Here are some recent publications from the Empire Center related to the tax cap and efforts by tax cap advocates to make it permanent:

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New York Property Tax Calculator 2021

New York’s property tax rates are generally among the highest in the nation. Specific property tax burdens vary widely throughout the state. Read More

Benchmarking New York 2021

To help New Yorkers compare certain basic fiscal measures for local governments, the Empire Center has calculated effective property tax rates and per-capita values for the spending, debt and tax levels throughout the state. Read More

Kathy Hochul’s call for 5.4M Republicans to leave New York is dangerous and disgusting

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who hasn’t proven shy about issuing orders, had one for the state’s Republicans this week Read More

Don’t Mess with the Tax Cap

The property tax cap has an extraordinary record of restraining tax hikes without unduly straining education budgets. Read More

Benchmarking New York

New York State residents pay some of the highest local taxes in the nation. Read More

Altered State: A checklist for change in New York State

This paper describes seven core objectives and offers specific policy recommendations toward their accomplishment. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, rather a good place to start work towards an Altered State with a growing economy, a more efficient public sector and new opportunities for an engaged and informed citizenry. Read More

Report Reveals Albany’s Balanced Budget a Gimmick

Extending the budget window reveals large, yawning budget gaps growing from nearly $8 billion in 2026 to nearly $20 billion by the end of the decade. Read More

Voters Approve Nearly All School Budgets Within Tax Cap

School budget votes proposing an average increase in per pupil spending of 4.2 percent were overwhelmingly approved in state-wide voting held yesterday. Read More