Long Island town officials are crying the blues over the budgetary squeeze supposedly created by the state’s property-tax cap. They’re not alone: You’ll hear much the same from town pols elsewhere in the metro region and across New York state. But the thrust of their complaints — that the tax cap is somehow blocking urgent public projects and programs — just won’t hold water. Read More
Before area taxpayers and their counterparts statewide get too excited over the looming lower property tax hike for next year, they need to be mindful of the other side of the coin. Read More
The starting point for computing next year's local property tax cap in most of New York State will be less than 1 percent—and so state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is warning local governments "brace for ... [lower] growth in property tax revenues." DiNapoli's tone clearly implies that a lower tax cap is a negative. But most property owners will no doubt see it another way. Read More
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state legislative leaders would have you believe that they just approved "property tax cuts for homeowners," as described in their joint announcement of an end-of-session deal last week. Don't believe them. Read More
E.J. McMahon thinks it’s more about bolstering talking points for state lawmakers. “This is reverse-engineered from the press release they wanted to issue, which is: ‘We did property tax relief,’ ” said McMahon, president of the fiscally conservative watchdog Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
The Empire Center argues that the tax cap as it is written now is working and should be made permanent. E.J. McMahon, the president and founder of the Empire Center, makes the case for the cap. McMahon will also discuss new data on firefighter pensions. Read More
EJ McMahon, president of the right-leaning Empire Center for Public Policy, said the rebate plan was an electioneering gambit, and that the money would be better used to finance infrastructure improvements, deferred pension contributions or provide tax relief to all New Yorkers, including commercial property owners and renters, who won't qualify for a Son of STAR check. Read More
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers are planning to cut $185 checks next year for thousands of Upstate homeowners who already qualify for school tax breaks. Read More