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Governor Cuomo Announces Support from More Than 225 Local Elected Officials in Push to Cut Property Taxes

Property Tax Reform Proposal Endorsed By Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone

New York,NY – March 24, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced support from more than 225 local elected officials for his plan to cut property taxes.

“Property taxes are one of the single greatest financial burdens for New Yorkers, and we can no longer allow our reputation as the tax capital of the nation hurt our homeowners,” Governor Cuomo said. “Just as we have worked to right size state government and bring our finances under control, local governments must continue to do the same. Our property tax reform agenda delivers more than $1 billion in tax relief while also encouraging local governments to address the crushing weight of the bureaucracy by working together to share services. Support for our approach is growing every day, and I commend the local leaders and countless New Yorkers who have voiced their support by calling on the legislature to make property tax reform a reality.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, “In the last three years, Governor Cuomo has proved to be a committed partner to Suffolk County. He recognizes that high property taxes remain a high burden on our homeowners and that we need to continue to attract new businesses to our region. His State of the State agenda will address just that and continue to push New York on a path to economic growth. From tax relief to exciting proposals for our education system to rebuilding our communities after Sandy, the Governor’s agenda for this year is full of promising initiatives. I applaud his vision and offer any support to push it forward.”

Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory said, “I applaud Governor Cuomo’s proposal to freeze property taxes for two years. A property tax freeze will provide substantial tax savings for state residents and will act as a powerful tool to attract new business to the state and create jobs. The Suffolk County Legislature understands the vital importance of lessening the property tax burden and that is why we have not raised general fund property taxes or have decreased general fund property taxes in Suffolk County for the last 11 years.”

The Governor’s plan would freeze property taxes for two years in communities where the local government also takes steps to consolidate and share services, and would provide relief based on an individual homeowner’s ability to pay. During year two of the Governor’s freeze proposal, nearly 700,000 Long Island homeowners could benefit, with total savings of as much as $394 million and an average benefit of $565. Under the circuit breaker proposal, approximately 367,700 households will qualify for an average real property personal income tax credit of $755, totaling $278 million in savings to Long Island residents.

In addition to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, the following local leaders have joined the ranks of elected officials from around the State in calling for property tax cuts this year:

FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
MUNICIPALITY

Keith
Ahlstrom
Minority Leader
Chautauqua County Legislature

Edwin
Alvarez
Town Council Member
Town of Southeast

Robert
Anderson
Councilmember
City of Niagara Falls

Sarah
Anker
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Tony
Arquiett
Legislator
St. Lawrence County Legislature

Paul
Backus
Board Member
Town of Canton

Barry
Baker
Board Member
Town of Arietta

Dave
Baker
Supervisor
Ontario County Board of Supervisors

Ted
Banta
Supervisor
Town of Cairo

Lorie
Barnum
Supervisor
Town of Irondequoit

Thomas
Barraga
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Phil
Barrett
Supervisor
Town of Clifton Park

Tom
Basile
Councilmember
Town of Stony Point

Art
Bassin
Supervisor
Town of Ancram

Rollin
Beattie
Board Member
Town of Potsdam

Adam
Bello
Supervisor
Town of Irondequoit

Steve
Bellone
County Executive
Suffolk County

Brad
Bender
Councilman
Town of Southampton

Jeffrey
Berkman
Minority Leader
Oranty County Legislature

Vincent
Bono
Chairman
Herkimer County Legislature

Catherine
Borgia
Majority Leader
Westchester County Legislature

George
Borrello
Chairman, Economic Development
Chautauqua County Legislature

Noam
Bramson
Mayor
City of New Rochelle

Jim
Bunstone
Legislator
St. Lawrence County Legislature

Chris
Burdick
Supervisor
Town of Bedford

David
Button
Supervisor
Town of Canton

Rob
Calarco
Majority Leader
Suffolk County Legislator

Isidro
Cancel
Councilmember
Town of Haverstraw

Randy
Casale
Mayor
City of Beacon

Frank
Castiglia
Legislator
Oswego County Legislature

Frank
Catalina
Mayor
City of Peekskill

Tom
Catillaz
Trustee
Village of Saranac Lake

Jason
Chapin
Councilman
Town of New Castle

Carl
Chipman
Supervisor
Town of Rochester

Bonnie
Christian
Mayor
Village of South Nyack

Brett
Christy
Councilman
Town of Pomfret

J. Michael
Cindrich
Mayor
Village of Mount Kisco

Jason
Clark
Legislator
St. Lawrence County Legislature

Drew
Claxton
Councilmember
City of Peekskill

Greg
Cole
School Board Memeber
Silver Creek

Thomas
Constantine
Legislator
Schenectady County Legislature

Billy
Coughlin
Former County Legislator
Chautauqua County

Jose
Cruz
Board Member
Rochester City School Board

Robert
Cullen
Council Member
Town of Southeast

Ed
Day
County Executive
Rockland County

Ed
DeJaneiro
Legislator
Genesee County Legislature

Dave
Denenberg
Legislator
Nassau County Legislature

Carla
DeShaw
Mayor
Village of Canastota

Joe
Destefano
Mayor
City of Middletown

Jack
Diamond
Mayor
City of Glens Falls

Roy
Diamond
Legislator
Montgomery County Legislature

Curlie
Dillard
Legislator
Orange County Legislature

AJ
Dolce
Mayor
City of Dunkirk

Rick
Donah
Trustee
Village of Tupper Lake

Tom
Donnelly
Councilman
Town of Babylon

Randy
Douglas
Chairman
Essex County Board of Supervisors

John
Duchessi
Legislator
Montgomery County Legislature

Daniel
Dwyer
Mayor
City of Rensselaer

Sam
Dyer
Chairman
Clinton County Legislature

Paul
Dyster
Mayor
City of Niagara Falls

Cora
Edwards
Legislator
Sullivan County Legislature

Tracey
Edwards
Councilwoman
Town of Huntington

Charlie
Evangelista
Supervisor
City of Geneva

Malik
Evans
Board Member
Rochester City School Board

Dan
Farfaglia
Legislator
Oswego County Legislature

Paul
Feiner
Supervisor
Town of Greenburgh

Bill
Ferebee
Vice Chairman/ Town Supervisor
Essex County Board of Supervisors/ Town of Keene

Tony
Fiala
Legislator
Broome County Legislature

Goeff
Finn
Supervisor
Town of Stony Point

Mark
Fleming
Legislator
Rensselear County Legislature

Maureen
Fleming
Supervisor
Town of Kent

Bridget
Fleming
Councilwoman
Town of Southampton

Richard
Fontana
Council Member
Buffalo Common Council

Doug
Foster
Trustee
Village of Nyack

Carl
Fulgenzi
Town Council Member
Town of Mount Pleasant

Joseph
Fusco
Mayor
City of Rome

Shayne
Gallo
Mayor
City of Kingston

Vincent
Gamboli
Councilmember
Town of Haverstraw

Larry
Gardiner
Legislator
Greene County Legislature

Phil
Giardino
Board Member
Town of Fine

Norma
Gonslaves
Presiding Officer
Nassau County Legislature

Adelino
Gonzalez
Councilmember
Town of Dunkirk

Jacqueline
Gordon
Councilwoman
Town of Babylon

John
Gould, Sr
Councilmember
Town of Haverstraw

Cindy
Gowiski
Supervisor
Town of Birdsall

Kristin
Grandenetti
Councilwoman
Niagara County Legislature

DuWayne
Gregory
Presiding Officer
Suffolk County Legislature

Peter
Grimm
Minority Leader
Rensselear County Legislature

Alex
Gromack
Supervisor
Town of Clarkstown

Matt
Haag
Councilmember
Rochester City Council

Kara
Hahn
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Wayne
Hall
Mayor
Village Hempstead

Don
Hammond
Trustee
Village of Nyack

Peter
Harckham
Legislator
Westchester County Legislature

Karl
Hax
Mayor
Village of Pulaski

Bob
Hayssen
Chair
Seneca County Board of Supervisors

Mike
Hein
County Executive
Ulster County

Hugh
Hill
Trustee
Village of Malone

Shawn
Hogan
Mayor
City of Hornell

Elizabeth
Hudak
Council Member
Town of Southeast

William “Billy”
Hughes
Supervisor- Hudson- 4th Ward
Columbia County Board of Supervisors

Gary
Hughes
Majority Leader
Schenectady County Legislature

Anthony
Jasenski
Chairman
Schenectady County Legislature

Jude
Jean-Francois
Alderman
City of Middletown

Ken
Jenkins
Legislator
Westchester County Board of Legislators

Barbara
Jeter-Jackson
Minority Leader
Dutchess County Legislature

Todd
Johnson
Supervisor
Town of Hanover

Paul
Johnson
Alderman
City of Middletown

Cindy
Kaleh
Legislator
Monroe County Legislature

Stephen
Keefe
Mayor
Village of Fredonia

Tim
Kelly
Board Member
Town of Pamelia

Warren
Kelly
Trustee
Village of Silver Creek

Judy
Kennedy
Mayor
City of Newburgh

Margaret “Peggy”
King
President
City of Schenectady City Council

Stephanie
Kiyak
Councilwoman
City of Dunkirk

Lynn
Kopka
City Council Member-At Large
Troy City Council

Al
Krupski
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislator

Michael
Kunzwiler
Minority Leader
Oswego County Legislature

Susan
Labuhn
Legislator
Cattaraugus County Legislature

Tom
Latimer
Supervisor
Town of Pierrepont

Tim
Lattimore
Legislator
Cayuga County Legislature

LeeAnn
Lazarony
Mayor
Town of Cassadaga

Larry
Legault
Supervisor
Town of Louisville

Harry
Lennon
Legislator
Greene County Legislature

Kevin
Lennon
Legislator
Greene County Legislature

Timothy
Levison
Trustee
Village of Norwood

William
Lindsay
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Paula
Mahan
Supervisor
Town of Colonie

Joseph
Maiurano
Mayor
City of Norwich

Patricia
Manchester
Supervisor
Town of Fort Covington

Howard
Maneely
Supervisor
Town of Malone

Edward
Mangano
County Executive
Nassau County

Marty
Mannix
Board Member
Town of Plattsburgh

Jack
Marren
Chair
Ontario County Board of Supervisors

Peter
Martin
Supervisor, Saratoga Springs
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors

Tony
Martinez
Deputy Supervisor
Town of Babylon

Joan
Maybury
Supervisor
Town of Mount Pleasant

Colleen
McCabe
Legislator
Broome County Legislature

Gary
McCarthy
Mayor
City of Schenectady

Dan
McCoy
County Executive
Albany County

Ronald
Mcdougall
Mayor
Village of Gouverneur

James
McFaddin
Mayor
Village of Norwood

J. Ryan
McMahon
Chairman
Onondaga County Legislature

Wm Keith
McNall
Legislator
Niagara County Legislature

John
Merwin
Supervisor
Town of Northeast

Mike
Michalski
Councilman
City of Dunkirk

Kevin
Millar
Mayor
Village of Owego

Marjorie
Miller
Supervisor
Town of Middletown

Marc
Molinaro
County Executive
Dutchess County

John
Mootooveren
CouncilMember
City of Schenectady City Council

Gerald
Morrow
Town Supervisor
Town of Chesterfield

Jake
Mulcahey
County Legislator
Oswego County Legislature

Steve
Neuhaus
County Executive
Orange County

Ernie
Odierna
Deputy Supervisor and Councilmember
Town of Mamaroneck

Matthew
Ossenfort
County Executive
Montgomery County

Janet
Otto-Cassada
Mayor
Village ofWaddington

Carla
Palumbo
Councilmember
Rochester City Council

Catherine
Parker
Legislator
Westchester County Legislature

Don
Peck
Legislator
St. Lawrence County

Leesa
Perazzo
City Council Member
City of Schenectady

Leonard
Perfetti
Councilman
Town of Union

Charles
Pernice
Supervisor
Town of Norfolk

Victoria
Perotti
Supervisor
Town of Amenia

Frank
Petrone
Supervisor
Town of Huntington

Howard
Phillips
Supervisor
Town of Haverstraw

Anthony
Picente
County Executive
County of Oneida

Carmen
Pineyro
Supervisor
Village of Freeport

Ellen
Polimeni
Mayor
City of Canadaigua

Randy
Preston
Supervisor
Town of Wilmington

Anthony
Purol
Trustee
Village of Silver Creek

Jonathan
Putney
Chairman
St. Lawrence County Legislature

Tom
Quackenbush
Chairman
Montgomery County Legislature

Clyde
Rabideau
Mayor
Village of Saranac Lake

Cathy
Race
Mayor
Village of Hermon

Daniel
Reynolds
County Legislator
Broome County Legislature

Barbara
Rice
Legislator, Trustee
Franklin County, Village of Saranac Lake

Bill J.
Rivera
Councilman
City of Dunkirk

Tom
Roach
Mayor
City of White Plains

Van
Robinson
Common Council President
City of Syracuse

J. Miguel
Rodrigues
City Council President
Town of Middletown

Rod
Rogers
School Board Memeber
Forestville CSD

Lou
Rosamilia
Mayor
City of Troy

H Bruce
Russell
Supervisor
Town of Bellmont

Laura
Schaefer
Legislator
Nassau County Leg.

Rich
Schaffer
Supervisor
Town of Babylon

Jay
Schneiderman
Deputy Presiding Officer
Suffolk County Legislator

Thomas
Scozzafava
Town Supervisor
Town of Moriah

Vincent
Seeley
Legislator
Greene County Legislature

Dave
Seeley
Town Board Member
Town of Irondequoit

Nancy
Seligson
Supervisor
Town of Mamaroneck

Irena
Skrobach
Councilwoman
Town of Irondequoit

Jim
Smith
Board Member
Town of Canton

A. Max
Smith
Mayor
City of Oneida

Sonde
Somers
Alderwoman
City of Middletown

Hector
Soto
Councilman
Town of Haverstraw

Al
Spain
Supervisor
Town of East Greenbush

Mike
Spano
Mayor
City of Yonkers

William
Spencer
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Reginald
Spinello
Mayor
City Glen Cove

Owen
Steed
Legislator
Niagara County Legislature

Steven
Stern
Legislator
Suffolk County Legislature

Jennifer
Stevenson
Councilmember
City of Ogdensburg

Andy
Stewart
Supervisor
Town of Orangetown

Erin
Sullivan Teta
City Council Member
City of Troy

Stacey
Szukala
Councilmember
City of Dunkirk

Todd
Tancredi
Supervisor
Town of Poughkeepsie

Anna
Throne-Holst
Supervisor
Town of Southampton

Brian
Tobin
Mayor
City of Cortland

Andy
Touma
Councilman
Niagara Falls City Council

Amy
Tressider
County Legislator
Oswego County Legislature

Paul
VanCott
Trustee
Village of Saranac Lake

Dennis
Virtuoso
Legislator
Niagara County Legislature

Rosemarie
Walker
Legislator
Nassau County Legislature

Charles
Walker
Chairman
Niagara Falls City Council

Jean
Walsh
Supervisor
Town of Rosendale

Sean
Walter
Supervisor
Town of Riverhead

Michael
Warren
Supervisor
Town of Marbletown

Van
White
President
Rochester City School Board

Jennifer
White
Mayor
Village of Nyack

Justin
Wilcox
Legislator
Monroe County Legislature

Ed
Williamson
Supervisor
Town of Granby

Alden
Wolfe
Chairman
Rockland County Legislature

Mark
Woods
Treasurer
Town of Dunkirk

JoAnn
Yepsen
Mayor
City of Saratoga Springs

Ted
Young
Mayor
Village of Waterloo

Jason
Zona
Legislator
Niagara County Legislature

Property Tax Freeze

The property tax freeze is a two year proposal that is designed to incentivize local governments to share services and reduce their financial burden on the taxpayer. New Yorkers will be eligible for property tax relief in the first year of the freeze if their local governments stay within the property tax cap. During the second year, the freeze will continue to provide relief to New Yorkers if their local governments remain within the property tax cap and also pursue concrete steps to consolidate, share services, and ultimately reduce costs. When fully implemented, the freeze would result in tax relief of up to $1 billion from local governments and school districts, with an average benefit of $354 for as many as 2.8 million taxpayers.

Circuit Breaker Based on Ability to Pay

Currently as many as two million low- and middle-income New Yorkers pay an effective real property tax rate relative to income that exceeds their income tax rate. The Governor’s circuit breaker proposal would create a progressively distributed tax credit in order to provide relief based on an individual homeowner’s ability to pay. When fully implemented, the circuit breaker would provide approximately two million New Yorkers with an average benefit of $500.

“No Excuses”

Just two weeks ago, the Governor launched the “No Excuses” push to help pass his proposed property tax cuts. The initiative includes a website (http://cutpropertytaxes.ny.gov/), testimonial from elected officials, advocacy groups, and homeowners who are burdened by high tax rates. The Governor is also urging New Yorkers to contact their legislators to make their voices heard. Click here to watch a video marking the start of the “No Excuses” initiative (for TV stations, a high-definition version can be downloaded here).

Contact:
Governor’s Press Office
NYC Press Office: 212.681.4640
Albany Press Office: 518.474.8418
press.office (at) exec.ny (dot) gov