Senator Young Fights to Restore Star Rebates

ALBANY - Senator Cathy Young (R,I,C-Olean) today fought to restore STAR rebate checks to homeowners through an amendment that was voted down by the Senate Democrats.

“Our property taxpayers need and deserve relief.  This budget was put together in secret by three men in a room from New York City who don’t seem to care about the huge tax burden our homeowners are forced to shoulder.

“Every fall, households across the state have come to rely on those checks for things like school clothes, groceries and other necessities,” said Senator Young.  “What was once offered as needed property tax relief gets turned into yet another property tax burden that many families in upstate New York simply cannot afford.”

Senate Republicans initiated the STAR rebate check program, which provide a yearly check mailed directly to homeowners to help ease the burden of skyrocketing property taxes, in 2006.

Sen. Young said the amendment proposed today would have provided an additional $4.2 million in relief for homeowners in Allegany County; $6.1 million in Cattaraugus County; $11.3 million in Chautauqua; and $5.5 million for Livingston County.

“This budget is an unbelievable explosion of spending that in one fell swoop will wreak havoc on the upstate economy. It simply taxes too much, spends too much and has no initiatives for job creation.”