“Property tax cap issue hits nerve” plus 3 more |
- Property tax cap issue hits nerve
- Property tax cap issue heats up N.Y. campaigns
- Maysville property tax balances out
- Seeking A Property-Tax Cap, Cuomo Goes To The People To Build Support
| Property tax cap issue hits nerve Posted: 13 Aug 2010 09:06 PM PDT ALBANY -- The battle over whether New York should have a property-tax cap is heating up on the campaign trail, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo making it a top priority and the powerful teachers union fighting back by withholding its endorsement. The debate is also spreading to legislative races as polls show New Yorkers are increasingly fed up with the state's high-tax burden, which is 79 percent above the national average. All statewide seats and legislative seats will be on the November ballot. Cuomo, the current attorney general, has been touring the state to encourage voters to support his agenda, which includes capping property-tax growth at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The cap issue was highlighted in the first set of television ads he began running last month. "It has to happen because enough is enough," Cuomo said in an interview with Gannett's Albany Bureau. "And the taxpayers and homeowners just can't afford it anymore. It's forcing people from their homes, literally. It's forcing people out of the state." The Senate this month passed a version that caps tax growth at 4 percent. But the Assembly hasn't acted, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has said there isn't enough support for it in the Democratic majority. Cuomo said the Assembly should vote on a tax cap when it returns for a special session, likely later this month to approve a federal-aid package. "We should seize that opportunity. Or if we don't get it done this year, I'm going to make it a top priority next year," Cuomo said. The tax cap proposal is creating a divide between Cuomo and New York State United Teachers, which on Thursday refrained from making an endorsement in the governor's race. It's a heavyweight match-up. Cuomo and NYSUT have the largest campaign accounts of any political action committee or candidate in the state. NYSUT plans to vigorously fight a tax cap, saying it would stifle schools amid an economic downturn and declining state aid. Moreover, the measure would allow voters in a district to override a cap, which the union fears could create a greater divide between wealthy and poor school districts. NYSUT backs a circuit-breaker proposal, which would tie property taxes to household income. But unlike a cap, a circuit breaker comes with a price tag, with estimates of $1 billion to $2 billion a year. GOP candidate Rick Lazio wants to cap property taxes at 2.5 percent of the assessed value of a home and cap the annual increase at 2.5 percent. GOP candidate Carl Paladino doesn't want to cap property taxes, he wants to cut them, his campaign said. He wants to cut Medicaid and state spending, saying he would lower taxes by 10 percent. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Property tax cap issue heats up N.Y. campaigns Posted: 14 Aug 2010 05:24 AM PDT ALBANY — The battle over whether New York should have a property-tax cap is heating up on the campaign trail, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo making it a top priority and a powerful teachers union fighting back by withholding its endorsement. The debate is also spreading to legislative races as polls show New Yorkers are increasingly fed up with the state's high tax burden, which is 79 percent above the national average. All statewide seats and legislative seats will be on the November ballot. "The key issues (this election year) are fiscal: How do people think Albany will help them with their financial situation," said Steven Greenberg, a spokesman for the Siena College Research Institute. "So a property-tax cap is one that really hits home with voters." Cuomo, the current attorney general, has been touring the state to encourage voters to support his agenda, which includes capping property-tax growth at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The cap issue was highlighted in the first set of television ads he began running last month. "It has to happen because enough is enough," Cuomo said in an interview with Gannett's Albany bureau. "And the taxpayers and homeowners just can't afford it anymore. It's forcing people from their homes, literally. It's forcing people out of the state." The Senate this month passed a measure that caps tax growth at 4 percent. But the Assembly hasn't acted, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has said there isn't enough support for it in the Democratic majority. Cuomo said the Assembly should vote on a tax cap when it returns for a special session, likely later this month. "We should seize that opportunity. Or if we don't get it done this year, I'm going to make it a top priority next year," Cuomo said. Gov. David Paterson has also pushed for a tax cap and has vowed to call the Assembly back to session in October, in the heat of the campaign season, to take it up. New Jersey recently passed a 2 percent tax cap. (2 of 2) The tax cap proposal is creating a divide between Cuomo and the powerful New York State United Teachers, which on Thursday refrained from making an endorsement in the governor's race. The union plans to vigorously fight a tax cap, saying it would stifle schools amid an economic downturn and declining state aid. NYSUT backs a circuit-breaker proposal, which would tie property taxes to income. But unlike a cap, a circuit breaker comes with a price tag, with estimates of $1 billion to $2 billion a year. "What we are looking for is somebody in this environment to come out and say tax caps may not be the real answer to the problem here in New York state and here are some alternatives," said Andy Pallotta, executive vice president for NYSUT, which represents 600,000 teachers and staff. But Cuomo said he's undeterred, saying he's making his case with voters. "At the end of the day, the people win. At the end of the day, the people beat the lobbyists," he said. His stance also puts him at odds with Silver, the powerful leader of the Assembly who is aligned with the teachers union and got its endorsement. Cuomo is also taking shots from his Republican opponents, former Long Island congressman Rick Lazio and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, who will face off in a primary Sept. 14. Lazio favors a cap, while Paladino says he prefers to cut spending first. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Maysville property tax balances out Posted: 13 Aug 2010 08:39 PM PDT A higher tax assessment on real and personal property has allowed Maysville city commissioners to reduce taxes on those properties. Reducing the tax rate from 1.63 cents per $100 of assessed value to the newly approved rate of 1.58 cents does not mean property owners will be paying less taxes, since the 2010 tax assessment is slightly higher than 2009. However, it will mean that most are not paying more than the previous year, City Manager Ray Young said. "Depending on how they are assessed, they should stay the same," Young said. Revenue generated from taxes will be more than $800,000, Young said -- approximately the same as 2009. The 2010 tax assessment listed real property values in the city as more than $442.45 million, tangible personal property as more than $101.1 million, inventories as more than $32.3 million. Unmanufactured tobacco had a $0 value in the assessment. The motor vehicle tax will remain the same for 2011 at 23.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. If there had been any unmanufactured tobacco, the tax rate is 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. The tax rate ordinance approved in its second reading Thursday at the Maysville City Commission meeting also included a franchise tax on financial institutions in the city limits equal to 0.025 percent of deposits. The institutions will receive a 2 percent discount if the payment is received by Dec. 31. Also during the meeting, commissioners: -- Approved the second reading of an ordinance restructuring the Arts Commission from 18 members to nine, four who will be appointed by the county and five who will be appointed by the city. -- Approved an ordinance accepting dedication of Spruce Court, Birch Court and Cottonwood Court. Contact Misty Maynard at misty.maynard@lee.net or by calling 606-564-9091, ext. 272. For more area news, visit www.maysville-online.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Seeking A Property-Tax Cap, Cuomo Goes To The People To Build Support Posted: 13 Aug 2010 04:53 PM PDT By JOSEPH SPECTOR ALBANY -- The battle over whether New York should have a property-tax cap is heating up on the campaign trail, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo making it a top priority and the powerful teachers union fighting back by withholding its endorsement. The debate is also spreading to legislative races as polls show New Yorkers are increasingly fed up with the state's high-tax burden, which is 79 percent above the national average. All statewide seats and legislative seats will be on the November ballot. "The key issues (this election year) are fiscal: How do people think Albany will help them with their financial situation," said Steven Greenberg, a spokesman for the Siena College Research Institute. "So a property-tax cap is one that really hits home with voters." Cuomo, the current attorney general, has been touring the state to encourage voters to support his agenda, which includes capping property-tax growth at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The cap issue was highlighted in the first set of television ads he began running last month. "It has to happen because enough is enough," Cuomo said in an interview with Gannett's Albany Bureau. "And the taxpayers and homeowners just can't afford it anymore. It's forcing people from their homes, literally. It's forcing people out of the state." The Senate this month passed a version that caps tax growth at 4 percent. But the Assembly hasn't acted, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has said there isn't enough support for it in the Democratic majority. Cuomo said the Assembly should vote on a tax cap when it returns for a special session, likely later this month to approve a federal-aid package. "We should seize that opportunity. Or if we don't get it done this year, I'm going to make it a top priority next year," Cuomo said. Gov. David Paterson has also pushed for a tax cap and has vowed to call the Assembly back to session in October, in the heat of the campaign season, to take it up. New Jersey recently passed a 2 percent tax cap; Massachusetts has had a 2.5 percent cap for 30 years. The tax cap proposal is creating a divide between Cuomo and New York State United Teachers, which on Thursday refrained from making an endorsement in the governor's race. It's a heavyweight match-up. Cuomo and NYSUT have the largest campaign accounts of any political action committee or candidate in the state. NYSUT last month had $7.8 million in the bank, ranking second only to Cuomo, who had a whopping $23 million cash on hand. Some of that money has ended up with Cuomo, whose campaign took in a total of $33,400 in 2008 and 2009 from NYSUT, NYPIRG found. But NYSUT hasn't given Cuomo any money since then, and the union plans to vigorously fight a tax cap, saying it would stifle schools amid an economic downturn and declining state aid. Moreover, the measure would allow voters in a district to override a cap, which the union fears could create a greater divide between wealthy and poor school districts. NYSUT backs a circuit-breaker proposal, which would tie property taxes to household income. But unlike a cap, a circuit breaker comes with a price tag, with estimates of $1 billion to $2 billion a year. In its endorsements, the union dropped support for many lawmakers who backed a tax cap and who it had endorsed in previous years. "What we are looking for is somebody in this environment to come out and say tax caps may not be the real answer to the problem here in New York state and here are some alternatives. That's what we are looking for," said Andy Pallotta, executive vice president for NYSUT, which represents 600,000 teachers and staff. But Cuomo said he's undeterred, saying he's making his case with voters. "At the end of the day, the people win. At the end of the day, the people beat the lobbyists," he said. His stance also puts him at odds with Silver, the powerful leader of the Assembly who is aligned with the teacher's union and got its endorsement. Cuomo is also taking shots from his Republican opponents, who will face off in a primary Sept. 14. GOP candidate Rick Lazio, a former Long Island congressman, wants to cap property taxes at 2.5 percent of the assessed value of a home and cap the annual increase at 2.5 percent. "Rick Lazio was first to unveil his property-tax-cap plan in this campaign, while Andrew Cuomo was taking campaign cash from the same special interests and labor unions that oppose them," Lazio spokesman Barney Keller said. GOP candidate Carl Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, doesn't want to cap property taxes, he wants to cut them, his campaign said. He wants to cut Medicaid and state spending, saying he would lower taxes by 10 percent in the first six months of his administration. "Carl supports capping property taxes just like he supports walking before you run. However, New York state needs to be running not walking," said spokesman Michael Caputo. "Capping is gutless. Cutting takes courage," he continued. "And none of the career politicians running for governor have the guts to call for cuts." Here's at look at where the gubernatorial candidates stand on a property-tax cap: --Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo: He wants to cap property-tax increases to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is less. The cap would apply to all local governments and school districts. To override the cap, the local governing board would have to approve it, as well as 60 percent of voters. -- Republican candidate Rick Lazio: He wants to cap the property tax at 2.5 percent of the assessed value of a home and cap the annual increase to 2.5 percent. He would allow for an override by voters. -- Republican candidate Carl Paladino: He wants to cut taxes by 10 percent in the first six months of his term through a 20 percent spending cut, saying a tax cap only limits future increases and doesn't cut taxes. About This Series: New York's property-tax burden continues to outpace the national average, putting more burden on homeowners in a poor economy. From now until the November elections, Gannett's Albany Bureau will explore the reasons for the state's high property taxes and what candidates seeking office this year pledge to do about it. Read the ongoing series "Taxed Out" and calculate your property-tax burden based on your income Gannett ContentOne - Albany, NYThis entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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