Long Island Senate Democrats Stand Up For Taxpayers

(Mineola, NY) –– Long Island Senate Democrats, together with local elected officials and concerned taxpayers, outlined a series of proposals to provide tax relief to communities across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. These proposals include a permanent property tax cap, which has already passed the State Senate but has not yet been enacted into law; historic levels of school funding; restoration of AIM funds for local governments; increased CHIPS funding to support local road repair; and a plan to help Nassau residents impacted by the county-wide reassessment by providing a tax credit to qualifying Nassau County homeowners. These proposals have already been included in the Senate’s budget resolution, and the Senators are working to ensure these initiatives are included in the enacted State Budget.

“The Senate Majority is committed to providing tax relief to our constituents while continuing to invest in our communities in a manner that is fiscally sound and responsible,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins said. “When Long Island members of the Senate Majority raised concerns about their constituents, our entire conference worked to help address these issues through our budget resolution. The Senate Majority budget proposal included a permanent property tax cap, AIM funds restoration, additional CHIPS funding, increased public school aid, and a plan to help Nassau residents impacted by the reassessment. The Senate Majority will continue listening to and working with the great Democratic Senators who represent Long Island to ensure these communities have the state support they deserve.”

In January, the Senate Democratic Majority passed legislation (S.1904) to protect taxpayers by making the property tax cap permanent. The Senate Democratic Majority also included a permanent tax cap in its recent budget resolution, and is fighting for its inclusion in the final State Budget.

In the Senate’s recent budget resolution, which received praise from statewide leaders and advocates, the Long Island Delegation and the Senate Democratic Majority proposed:

• Increasing School Aid by $1.62 billion or 6.0% over the 2018-2019 school year.
• Increasing Foundation Aid by $1.2 billion or 6.8%.
• Restoring $60 million of Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) funding to certain Towns and Villages within the AIM program and adding additional state funds to several in-need local governments.
• An additional $150 million to be added to the base Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding, for a total of $588 million in CHIPS funding.

These proposals will further assist communities across Long Island from additional burdens on hardworking taxpayers. 

In addition, the Reassessment Relief Credit proposal included in the Senate Majority’s budget resolution includes:

• Providing property tax relief to homeowners who meet the same eligibility criteria as the STAR program. 
• Qualifying individuals would be able to claim a State income tax credit based on the increase in their property taxes resulting from the county-wide reassessment over a period of seven years.
  • In the first year, the credit would be equal to any property tax increase directly resulting from the reassessment, meaning no tax increase for the homeowner.
  • Taxpayers will continue to receive relief for a total of 7 years, including credits for two additional years beyond the point at which the full new assessment value has phased in.
• As with the STAR credit, taxpayers would receive an early check from the State with the value of their credit. Taxpayers would then be able to claim the credit on their income tax returns, and any discrepancies between the credit check received and the final value of the credit would be resolved.
• Nassau County will have to pass a local resolution to opt into this new credit program.
• Nassau County would give the State the ability to intercept a portion of their sales tax revenue in order to fulfill the local share of this program, which is equal to 25% of the cost.
  • For every dollar Nassau invests into further tax relief, the State will contribute 3 dollars, for a total of 75% of the cost of the program.

Senator John Brooks said, “We in the Senate are proud of the work we have done in securing fiscal aid and tax relief to residents of Long Island. We are currently in the final stages of negotiations on the state budget but rest assured we will not relent until our efforts to provide increases in school aid, added funding for veterans programs, much needed relief from the burden of being over-taxed, and more, are fully enacted.”

Senator Jim Gaughran said, “I am proud to stand up for Long Island taxpayers as we fight to cut taxes and reduce the burden of unfunded mandates to make Long Island affordable.”

Senator Todd Kaminsky said, “Hardworking Long Islanders deserve a budget that eases their tax burden and improves services. Our Senate Majority is committed to a permanent tax cap, increasing school aid and road funding, adding billions of dollars for clean water infrastructure, and holding the MTA accountable. Over the next two weeks, we will work diligently to bring Long Islanders a great budget they can be proud of.”

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said, “The high cost of property taxes is one of the biggest challenges facing Nassau County families right now, and I have heard from so many of my constituents, particularly those on a fixed income, that the impact of another tax increase could be absolutely devastating, especially with the federal government’s restrictions on the SALT deduction. My colleagues and I in the Senate Majority worked together to ensure our budget resolution would include a permanent tax cap, record funding for our schools, support for local governments, and real property tax reassessment relief for homeowners, because we need to take every step we can to reduce the local tax burden and give relief to our communities. We are proud to stand together on these issues, and we are going to continue to fight for these critical initiatives to be included in the enacted State Budget.”

Senator Monica Martinez said, “We are working for the future of Long Island by setting aside an additional $1.62 billion dollars for school and foundation aid, and by restoring critical AIM funding so that our municipalities may operate at the same high standards that they have in years past. Additionally, the Senate Majority has included another $150 million to the base Consolidated Local Street Improvement Program (CHIPS). I am confident in our ability to improve upon the quality of life for all Long Islanders when we work together as a united front to uplift the constituencies we represent.”

Senator Kevin Thomas said, “Long Island is a great place to live and raise our families, however we are among the most highly taxed regions in the State. As we move into the final stages of preparing the budget, I will fight to ensure the taxpayer protections we passed in the Senate are enacted in the final budget. These include: increased School Aid, implementing the permanent property tax cap, the restoration of AIM funding for our local municipalities, additional funding for road maintenance and repair through the CHIPS program, and providing reassessment relief to homeowners.”

Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen said, “This proposal would help ensure that Long Island finally starts receiving an equitable share of funding from Albany. Taxpayers in America’s largest township are feeling the burden now, with the introduction of Trump’s elimination of state and local tax deductions, more than ever. I commend our hardworking senators for putting forward sensible solutions, including finally increasing funding for local streets and highway repairs. Mayors and Supervisors all across New York State are currently trying to maintain and repair crumbling roads and infrastructure with scotch tape and bubble gum. The Senate Democrat’s $150 million CHIPS increase is a much needed adrenaline shot to local infrastructure, and would be the first raise municipalities have received since 2013.”

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth said, “State Senator Kaplan’s proposed initiative to give tax relief to homeowners negatively impacted by the reassessment process is one that should be considered as the County continues its effort to fix the assessment system.”

Scott Rogers, a homeowner from Farmingdale, said, “Ever since the federal government took away the full state and local tax deduction, I’ve really been feeling the high cost of our property taxes here on Long Island. I’m really excited to hear that the Long Island Senate Majority is taking action to keep our property taxes low and give us some relief when we need it most.”

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