Little: State land property tax payment proposal still alive

     State Senator Betty Little (R,C,I-Queensbury) today said she is disappointed the 2009-10 Executive Budget has not been amended to eliminate a proposal that would cap New York State’s payments of taxes on approximately 3 million acres of Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack Park.
 
     “Albany has not gotten the message, which I find amazing given the broad coalition of Adirondack interests opposing this ill-conceived proposal,” said Little.   “What is being proposed is just so patently unfair and would establish such a terrible precedent that I am really surprised it was not eliminated from the executive budget.”

     Governor David Paterson announced his 30-day amendments to the executive budget earlier today.
 
     At a joint legislative budget hearing in Albany this past Tuesday, Little asked DEC Commissioner Alexander “Pete” Grannis to rescind the proposal.  Little had also cosigned a letter to the governor in late December from four state senators representing portions of the Adirondack Park opposing the budget proposal.

     “We have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure the adopted budget supports programs, services and initiatives important to the North Country.  Eliminating this unfair tax scheme should have been an early victory, but its continued inclusion in the budget is probably indicative of the challenge we face this year.”

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