New York Gov. David Paterson and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi last week announced that six public hearings on property taxes would be held across the state.
Paterson has pushed for the state Legislature to adopt a school property tax cap but so far only the Senate has passed the measure. The Assembly adopted a separate measure called a “circuit-breaker” that would reduce property taxes on homeowners whose income fell below certain levels.
“The Assembly and Senate put separate proposals on the table, and now we have to close the gap between the two sides to get the relief that New Yorkers clearly need,” Paterson said in a press release. “New York’s inordinately high property tax burden is hurting our state’s economy, forcing young families to leave, and leaving seniors in a position where they have few options but to sell their lifelong homes.”
Suozzi, chairman of the Commission on Property Tax Relief, will lead the hearings that will take place from Sept. 9 through Nov. 12 and look at special education, school district mandate relief, and the impact of property taxes on school districts. The hearings will be held in Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, and Long Island.
The commission released a preliminary report in June that recommended a school property tax cap. A final report is due Dec. 1.
