HERE’S HOW MUCH COLUMBIA COUNTY LOSES WITHOUT STAR PROPERTY TAX REBATE CHECK

Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C Poughkeepsie) today released figures showing the $4.3 million loss suffered by over 6,200 property taxpayers in Columbia County now that the STAR rebate checks have been eliminated by the Democrat leadership in the 2009-2010 State Budget.

“As the new Senate Majority, the Senate Democrats have eliminated STAR rebate checks from tens of thousands of real property taxpayers in Columbia County, including more than 3,500 senior citizens – to the painful tune of nearly $3.4 million in Columbia County alone,” Saland said.

“The STAR rebate program was a Senate Republican priority which, as the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, I announced in December of 2004 and which we succeeded in passing into law several months later,” Saland added.

Columbia County property taxpayers, depending on their school district and household income, will lose nearly $200 to just under $400 each year now that the rebate checks have been eliminated.

“My Senate Republican colleagues and I fought hard to keep these rebate checks flowing, knowing how important they were to property taxpayers,” said Senator Saland. “But now that the State Senate is in the hands of the Democrats, the rebate checks are history. This was their first chance to step up to the budget plate and demonstrate they understand how escalating property taxes are devastating upstate taxpayers, and they struck out. Every Senate Democrat voted to eliminate the STAR rebate program. If merely one Democrat had broken ranks and joined with me and my Republican colleagues, New Yorkers would still be able to count on receiving their STAR rebate checks,” Saland continued.

“The Senate Democrats are now talking about possibly doing something to help property taxpayers later this year. It’s nothing but political gamesmanship, trying to cover up the fact they stripped STAR rebate checks from the budget. It was bad enough to take STAR rebate checks from taxpayers, but to then go through the callous charade of passing a bill that they know has no chance of becoming law adds insult to injury,” Saland concluded. 

Below is a chart containing the estimated rebate check loss by school district and by household income.