Jacobs Announces Passage of Mandate Reform Bill

(Albany, NY) – New York State Senator Chris Jacobs (60^th SD), announced the passage of a bill he co-sponsored (S1347) that will require the state to fund mandated programs that come at an additional cost for municipalities or school districts.  This will enable local governments to stay within the highly successful tax cap and provide additional relief to local taxpayers.

“Albany mandates passed down to local governments and school districts are why Buffalo and Western New York taxpayers pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation,” Senator Jacobs said.  “A big part of ensuring our upstate communities are treated fairly is to stop Albany from passing the buck and protect local taxpayers from having to pay for mandates that local government has no control over,” the Senator added.

The long-standing practice of imposing unfunded mandates forces local elected and school officials to either raise taxes or eliminate services or programs that are priorities in their communities.  Both are bad options according to Jacobs who dealt with the issue of unfunded mandates while serving in county government, and says he continues to hear the same message from local elected officials and school administrators all across Western New York.

The Senator also cited what he called the hypocrisy of imposing a state property tax cap without providing mandate relief, and noted the strong bipartisan support the bill received.   

“For far too long now legislators in Albany have operated in a bubble, pushing mandate after mandate on local governments as if there were no consequences to their actions,” said Senator Jacobs.  “That habit has to end, and the bill that passed the Senate is a great first step in that process.  I’m hoping that my colleagues in the Assembly will follow suit,” Jacobs concluded.