The NY Tax Relief Act is an eight bill package introduced by Assemblyman Colin Schmitt aimed at making the property tax cap permanent, creating a senior property tax freeze, increasing the STAR rebate and several additional critical tax relief measures.
Assemblyman Colin Schmitt stated, “New York needs to be a place where all can live, work and prosper. The onerous tax burdens we face in New York is one of the main reasons I ran for State Assembly. Far too many of our friends, family and neighbors have been forced to flee this state because of high taxes and the out of control cost of living. The NY Tax Relief Act is a comprehensive solution that would provide necessary tax relief to all New Yorkers.”
Schmitt continued, “A permanent property tax cap with unfunded mandate relief, the creation of a senior property tax freeze, increasing the STAR rebate and all the good the NY Tax Relief Act encompasses is greatly needed in our state. I urge all constituents in my district and all residents of the state to contact the State Legislature and Governor and join with me is saying pass the NY Tax Relief Act NOW! The time is NOW for a permanent property tax cap. The time is NOW for a senior property tax freeze. The time is NOW for an increase in the STAR rebate and the time is NOW for the tax relief we have waited so long for in New York. Not one more New Yorker should be forced to move South or West to live the life they want to live. Not one more senior should be forced out of the community they have built up and contributed to over a lifetime or have to choose between paying property taxes or buying groceries. All our young New Yorkers should be able to stay in our state after college and have the ability to succeed. Passing the NY Tax Relief Act will make all this possible.”
Chemung County Legislator Rodney J. Strange urges support and passage of this legislation. “I am strongly in favor of Assemblyman Schmitt’s Tax Relief Act,” Strange said. “We need mandate relief in New York in order to lower our property taxes and attract business and industry to our state, the Southern Tier and especially Chemung County. This package of legislation will accomplish all of that and put us on track to drastically reducing and eliminating county property taxes here in Chemung County,” Strange concluded.
The NY Tax Relief Act is a package of eight stand alone bills that include:
Permanent Property Tax Cap: A permanent property tax cap tied in with a three year ban on unfunded mandates and a study by the comptroller on eliminating all unfunded mandates.
Unfunded mandates account for 100% of all property taxes collected by Chemung County ($29.9 million) and another $7 million of our sales tax dollars. If unfunded mandates were eliminated, we could have NO county property tax and have an extra sales tax to use for important county services.
Senior Property Tax Freeze: A bill to freeze property taxes at 62 years of age for qualified recipients who are at or below $120,000 annual income. Their tax payment could never go up, but can decrease with new exemptions or other tax relief measures.
3/5th Supermajority For New Taxes: Require a 3/5ths Supermajority for new taxes to be passed by the State Legislature.
STAR Property Tax Relief Increase: Bill would increase the property tax relief credit by 25 percent.
State Medicaid Takeover (Two Senate Same As Bills Sponsored by Senator Young) The first bill reduces the local Medicaid contribution by 20 percent a year over five years for all counties outside New York City. The counties will then enact dollar-by-dollar reductions to local property taxes to ensure that these savings are going directly back to property taxpayers.
The second bill reduces counties’ contributions by 10 percent a year over 10 years and again requires all savings to be returned dollar-by-dollar back to property taxpayers.
In Chemung County, 65% of our property taxes, ($19.6 million), go to fund the mandated cost of Medicaid to New York State.
18-A Surcharge Elimination (Two senate same as bills Sponsored by Senator Griffo) One phases in an elimination of the Gross Receipts tax on utility bills and the other bill would be an elimination of the 18-A surcharge and shifts those costs to the General Fund rather than the taxpayers.