Senator Nozzolio Fights to Secure Funding to Reimburse Cayuga and Seneca Counties

Senate Budget Resolution Reimburses Counties for Unpaid Indian Property Taxes

Senator Mike Nozzolio announced the New York State Senate Budget Resolution enacted today includes funding to offset the financial burden on local taxpayers created by the refusal of the Cayuga Indians to pay their property taxes. The Cayuga Indians have refused to pay millions of dollars in property taxes owed to Cayuga and Seneca Counties.  

“Each and every year, local taxpayers are forced to shoulder an unfair and increasingly costly financial burden because the Cayuga Indians refuse to pay their property taxes on land they purchased in Cayuga and Seneca Counties! In an effort to end this inequity and protect local taxpayers, my colleagues and I fought to include this funding in the 2014-15 New York State Senate Budget Resolution. It is critical that we take the necessary steps to protect our taxpayers from this unfair situation, and I am hopeful that Governor Cuomo and the State Assembly will include this important funding in the final 2014-15 State Budget,” said Senator Mike Nozzolio. 

The proposal supported by Senator Nozzolio, Assemblyman Kolb, Assemblyman Oaks, Assemblyman Finch and Assemblyman Palmesano would provide up to $3 million to offset the loss of taxes to Cayuga and Seneca Counties. This funding would compensate Cayuga and Seneca Counties for unpaid school and local property taxes on land that is owned by individual Cayuga Indians.

"This important funding will help to protect our local taxpayers and ensure that they are not penalized for the taxes not paid by the Cayugas,” said Michael Chapman, Chairman of the Cayuga County Legislature. "We thank Senator Nozzolio for his efforts to include this funding in the Senate Budget Resolution and we are hopeful that Governor Cuomo and the State Assembly will work to include this funding in the final 2014-15 State Budget." 

“The refusal of the Cayuga Indians to pay property taxes continues to have a devastating impact on the taxpayers of Seneca County.  On behalf of the residents of Seneca County, I thank Senator Nozzolio for his leadership in securing this funding in the Senate Budget Resolution and look forward to working with him as we continue our efforts to protect the taxpayers of Seneca County from this unfair burden,” said Bob Hayssen, Chairman of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors.

“We must do everything possible to ensure the collection of these unpaid property taxes and I will continue working with Assemblymen Kolb, Oaks, Finch, Palmesano and my colleagues at all levels of government to eliminate this unfair financial burden on the hardworking taxpayers of Cayuga and Seneca Counties. As State Senator and lifelong resident of Seneca County, I remain firmly committed to doing everything I can to protect our local taxpayers,” said Senator Mike Nozzolio.

A virtual tour of the Cayuga Indian land holdings in Seneca Falls, can be found on Senator Nozzolio’s website at www.SenatorNozzolio.com.

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