Senator Kennedy Announces Approval of Property Tax Cap, Mandate Relief Measures

Legislation aims to keep New Yorkers in their homes

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senator Timothy M. Kennedy, D-58th District, announced that a historic legislative package to help reduce the state’s property tax burden and keep New York affordable has passed in the Senate and Assembly.

The legislation, which passed Friday, contains proposals that Senator Kennedy has been pushing since taking office, including a property tax cap and mandate relief measures.

“This landmark legislative agreement will bring real progress to Western New York. It contains a series of long overdue reforms that will make living in New York more affordable,” Senator Kennedy said. “I commend Governor Cuomo for his determined leadership in our efforts to deliver property tax relief to New York homeowners and foster economic growth across our state.

“New Yorkers currently pay the highest property taxes in the entire nation – threatening to price families out of their homes and putting homeownership out of reach for many others,” he added “That needs to change, and we have taken steps to start that change today.”

Senator Kennedy co-sponsored the Governor’s property tax cap bill, which passed the Senate earlier this year but got held up in the Assembly. At an Albany press conference in January, Kennedy led his conference in highlighting property tax and mandate relief as priorities for the legislative session.

“For far too long, hardworking Western New Yorkers have felt ignored after calling on Albany to provide them with relief on their skyrocketing property tax bills,” Senator Kennedy said. “This legislation will help make New York more affordable by finally placing a two-percent cap on property taxes and by enacting mandate-relief measures. The property tax cap sends a critical message to Middle Class families and small businesses that we are standing up for them in our fight against the state’s property tax burden.”