Senator Croci Announces NYS Senate Has Passed A Bill To Help Control Unfunded State Mandates On Schools And Local Governments

Media Contacts:                                                                                                                                           

Christine Geed, Communications Specialist

geed@nysenate.gov or (631) 398-8044

Jennifer Romero, Press Secretary

jromero@nysenate.gov or (631) 513-5657

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, May 12, 2016

For Immediate Release

Hauppauge, NY – Senator Thomas Croci (R, C, I – Sayville) announces the New York State Senate has passed legislation to prevent costly unfunded mandates from burdening municipal and school budgets and their taxpayers. The bill (S3144A), sponsored by Senator Rich Funke (R-C-I, Fairport), helps curtail potential property tax increases or cuts to existing services by lessening the affect of state actions on local governments’ bottom lines.

Senator Croci, member of the State Senate Committee on Education, said, “Unfunded mandates are a burden on school districts, local governments, and ultimately, our taxpayers because they are mandates that are placed by the state without the funding to assist in the implementation of the mandate. This legislation, similar to a bill I proposed last year, is a common-sense approach to lessening the tax burden on our residents and I applaud Senator Funke for introducing this bill.”

Programs mandated by the state place taxpayers and local officials in the position of paying for services that they do not control. When the state sets local priorities and forces municipal taxing decisions by mandating services, programs, and standards, many local governments and school districts are forced to make difficult choices such as increasing property taxes or cutting back on other services and programs.

This bill prevents future unfunded mandates from negatively affecting local finances and driving up property taxes by requiring the state to assume the costs. This would make it easier for local governments to stay within the property tax cap and provide further relief to local taxpayers.         

The bill has been sent to the Assembly.

All media inquiries should be directed to Senator Croci’s Communications Specialist, Christine Geed at (631) 398-8044 (call or text) or via email at geed@nysenate.gov.  Inquiries for additional information should be directed to Senator Croci’s Press Secretary, Jennifer Romero at (631) 513-5657 or via email at jromero@nysenate.gov

###