Reader's View: A permanent property tax cap is a good first step

This fall, voters provided me the incredible honor of serving them as State Senator for the 43rd District. I’m thankful for and humbled by, the confidence voters placed in me! As your Senator, I’ll work hard, be responsive and do my best to represent you with honor and integrity. I thank the Saratogian and Troy Record for this opportunity to share the latest about what’s happening with YOUR state government.

Permanent property tax cap to protect taxpayers

As a candidate for State Senate, I said that one of my top priorities for a more affordable New York was making the property tax cap permanent. The property tax cap is working and has saved taxpayers more than $37 billion since its 2011 enactment. On January 23, I voted yes on Senate Bill S.1904, legislation that would make the property tax cap permanent. This measure passed the Senate overwhelmingly by a bi-partisan vote of 58-2. Now, it’s on the Assembly to pass the bill so a permanent property tax cap can become law to protect homeowners.

A good start – but Albany’s unfunded mandates remain a serious problem

While our Senate passage of the bill making the property tax cap permanent is a good start, the issue of Albany’s unfunded mandates remains a huge, costly problem. Unfunded mandates – when Albany requires localities to do something but fails to provide any funding for it – are among the biggest cost drivers for local governments and are ultimately borne by local taxpayers. How big is this problem? The New York State Association of Counties reported that the cost of nine state mandates, including Medicaid, is equal to the entire statewide county property tax levy. We need to pass legislation freezing Albany’s unfunded mandates this year, this session.

Governor’s budget takes aim at the AIM program – and local taxpayers

Adding to the crushing cost burdens faced by localities and local taxpayers, Governor Cuomo’s 2019-20 Executive Budget made deep cuts to the Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) program. If unchanged, the Governor’s proposal would reportedly take $16.4 million away from 480 of the 531 villages across the state, and result in $42.73 million less for towns. I’ll work with my Senate Republican colleagues – and anyone who wants to help local taxpayers – to try restoring the Governor’s deep AIM cuts. This is important so local communities have support and local taxpayers don’t feel pain.

All of these steps – making the property tax cap permanent, freezing Albany’s unfunded mandates and restoring the Governor’s cuts to AIM – go hand-in-hand for a more affordable New York, one that I’ll keep working for.

Contact and connect with me

If I can ever help you, call me at (518) 455-2381, e-mail me at jordan@nysenate.gov, visit my Senate webpage at www.jordan.nysenate.gov, or stop by my office: Room 508 LOB, Albany, NY 12247. You can also connect with me on Facebook (Senator Daphne Jordan), Instagram (Senator_Jordan) and Twitter (NY Senator Jordan).

NYS Senator Daphne Jordan serves as the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee and represents the 43rd Senate District that includes parts of Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington counties and all of Columbia County.