The New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief headed by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi will release a report next month that will propose ways to reduce our property tax burden. According to the New York Times, one of those recommendations will be a property tax cap for school districts.
Last week, a special property tax commission set up by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and supported by his successor, Gov. David A. Paterson, wrapped up its sixth and final hearing. The commission is due to issue a report by May 22 that will include imposing a ceiling on annual property tax increases by school districts as its signature proposal, though the form of any limit remains to be determined.
Sounds good, right? But the state's top teachers' union, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), opposes such a recommendation.
New York State United Teachers, the powerful union that holds considerable clout in Albany, cannot abide a cap or several other steps the commission is considering.
"The process is flawed because it starts with the assumption that a property tax cap is something that we need," said Richard C. Iannuzzi, the union's president, above. "When you start with the conclusion that it has to be a cap, you limit the ability to look at things.
"That destroyed the public school system in California, and we're not going to let that happen in New York."
This could pose some problems if this tax cap were to be implemented or attempted to be implemented. On May 22, the full report will be released. Then we will see what options we have and what we can do to reduce the property tax burden in our state. |
