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Property Tax Resources |
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On this page -
Noteworthy
Commission Links
Fiscal Policy Institute Publications
Other Resources
Events
News
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Noteworthy
June 22, 2011.
Proposed New York
property tax cap is much more restrictive than the Massachusetts cap
after which it is supposedly modeled. No lawmaker or taxpayer should
be one bit reassured by the Massachusetts experience with a tax cap. New
analysis from FPI's Frank Mauro shows what a New York-style tax cap
would mean if it had been in effect in Massachusetts over the last
decades. Property tax revenues would be less than half what they are
today, with devastating implications for the entire array of
locally-funded public services.
June 15, 2011.
Proposed Cap Does Not
Address New York's Property Tax "Problem." A deeper look at the data used to
support the proposed cap shows that New York’s real tax problem is that hundreds
of thousands of low, moderate and middle income families are already paying
inordinate shares of their income in property taxes on their primary residences.
Only a middle-class Circuit Breaker can provide effective relief for these
families in a targeted and cost-efficient manner.
Analysis >>
Omnibus Consortium release >>
June 10, 2011.
Incorrect diagnosis of New York's
property tax "problem" will lead to a remedy that is likely to do more harm than
good. Massachusetts' experience with Proposition 2 1/2 does not support the
claim that a cap of the type proposed by Governor Cuomo is workable let alone
desirable. If a hard cap of the lesser of 2 percent or the rate of inflation,
with no overrides, had been in effect in Massachusetts since 1981-82, that
state's property tax revenue would be about 60 percent less than it currently
is. The Governor's proposed cap would undermine the quality of the entire array
of locally funded public services while providing very little relief to those
homeowners who are most overburdened by real property taxes. New York can learn
from the Massachusetts experience but not if it ignores the reality of that
experience.
Analysis
>>
March 1, 2011.
Short Term Property
Tax Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Approach. Testimony of FPI's
Frank Mauro at the public hearing "Cap on Real Property Taxes" before
the Assembly Standing Committees on Ways and Means, Education, Real Property
Taxation, Local Government and Cities. A cap on real property taxes would not
effectively protect those most in need of property tax relief, and would
exacerbate inequities in our current system of public school finance. In the
short run. a property tax circuit breaker provides effective and targeted
relief. Over time, we should reform New York's state-local tax system by having
the state gradually take responsibility for the financing of a greater share of
the essential services that New York State performs through its local
governments.
May 25, 2010. New York shouldn't look
to Massachusetts as a model for property tax reform:
This 2010 update of a landmark
report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities should be must
reading for New York policymakers. This report describes the problems the cap
has created in Massachusetts and explains why the impact could be even more
severe in New York. Among the key lessons of the Massachusetts experience:
-
A tax cap won't make government
services cost less.
-
Claims that caps will produce large
savings through “efficiencies” are overblown.
-
Tax caps can be particularly
harmful if adopted during a weak economy.
-
State aid can't be relied upon to
fill the gap.
-
Changes in school enrollment can
have a big impact.
-
Without effectively targeted state
aid, low-income communities will fall even further behind.
-
Wealthier communities will override
a tax cap more frequently than poorer ones.
-
Middle-income communities might end
up bearing the brunt of a cap.
More about Massachusetts' Proposition 2½:
2008 NY release -
html,
pdf
2010 Executive summary -
html
2010 Full report -
pdf
May 15, 2010.
New York considers ways to provide property tax relief: Several plans call for
placing cap on rates. By Cara Matthews, Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Also in the
Elmira Star-Gazette
and the
Ithaca Journal.
Frank Mauro, head of the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute in New York,
said a cap would perpetuate current funding inequities among school districts.
"When you apply a percentage cap to change, you institutionalize the disparities
and you make them worse," Mauro said. He said a circuit-breaker system would
provide relief to the most overburdened homeowners.
April 2010.
Property Tax Relief: The Case for Circuit Breakers. By Daphne Kenyon, Adam
H. Langley, and Bethany P. Paquin. Published in Land Lines, the Lincoln
Institute of Land Policy’s quarterly magazine. The article features a full page
sidebar on "New York’s Effort to Provide Targeted Tax Relief."
December 21, 2009.
Property tax fix pondered in N.Y. Senate. By Cara Matthews,
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
October 28, 2009.
School advocates: Cuts unfairly applied. State formula hurts poor districts,
calculations show. By Meghan E. Murphy, Middletown Times Herald-Record.
October 13, 2009.
State lawmakers question property-tax exemptions. By Cara Matthews,
Elmira Star-Gazette.
April 22, 2009. Omnibus Consortium Joins With Senator
Krueger to Advance Circuit Breaker and Promote Real Property Tax Reform
(S. 4239). Consortium calls for action on this bill by end of session.
Press release.
March 27, 2009. Groups Support Governor Paterson’s Proposal to Eliminate
the STAR Rebate Checks; Consortium Says This Flawed Program Must be
Replaced with Meaningful Circuit Breaker. Watch this
video press
conference to
learn more about how redirecting the funds now wasted on STAR rebates
will help balance this year's budget and in the longer term work toward
tax fairness.
Press release.
More at
omnibustaxsolution.org >>
March 12, 2009. Exploring
progressive changes to New York State’s personal income tax system. This
testimony, presented
by FPI executive director Frank Mauro
to the New York State Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform, includes
a discussion of the Omnibus Tax Reform Bill. The goal of the bill: to restore
fairness to taxation with both short term relief and long term solutions.
More at
omnibustaxsolution.org >>
August 15, 2008.
Short Term Tax
Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Bill Approach.
Tax reform options are receiving little attention during the
current property tax debate as elected officials, the media, advocates
and the general public look for ways to deliver more immediate property
tax relief.
In this presentation, FPI's Executive Director Frank Mauro
makes the case for the Omnibus Property Tax Relief and Reform Act. He
argues that immediate relief is best provided by a well-targeted
property tax circuit-breaker; and that to ease the pressure on the local
property tax base over the longer term, the state should implement a
10-year plan for gradually taking over $6 billion of local school costs,
an additional $1 billion of Medicaid costs, and $3 billion of the cost
of basic municipal services.
-
Presentation in
pdf >>
-
Presentation, video
>>
- Bill language >>
July 14, 2008.
Siena New
York Poll: Circuit Breaker & Gas Tax Cut Top Property Tax Cap.
While New York voters strongly support both a property tax cap and a property
tax "circuit breaker," which ensures that property taxes do not exceed a certain
percentage of a homeowner's income, when forced to choose between the two, a
majority prefer the circuit breaker, according to a new Siena (College) Research
Institute poll released today. More voters would rather see New York eliminate
32 cents of state gas taxes than cap property tax increases.
...
"New Yorkers overwhelmingly want tax relief. Property tax cap to limit
increases? Yes, 69 percent. Circuit breaker to limit what they pay in property
taxes? Yes, 75 percent," said Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena New York
Poll. "But if they can only have one form of property tax relief, 52 percent
-
including a majority of Democrats, Republicans, upstaters and downstaters - say
they want the circuit breaker."
More: an
editorial from the Albany Times Union.
June 10, 2008.
Broad-based coalition unites to oppose
arbitrary property tax cap.
In a joint press release, representatives of a diverse group of organizations
summarized the key shortcomings of property tax caps like the proposal advanced
by Gov. David Paterson. The coalition members argued that New York needs
property tax relief, but that an artificial cap would harm educational programs
and doom efforts to close the achievement gap.
May 21, 2008.
New York Shouldn't Look to Massachusetts as a
Model for Property Tax Reform.
With the Commission on Property Tax Relief poised to recommend that the state
impose a rigid cap on property taxes for education based on Massachusetts'
Proposition 2 ½, a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
describes the problems the law has created in Massachusetts and explains that
the impact in New York could be even more severe.
More about Hidden Consequences:
Press release -
html,
pdf
Executive summary -
html (updated May 25,
2010)
Full report -
pdf
(updated May 25, 2010)
Among the key lessons:
-
A tax cap won't make government
services cost less.
-
Claims that caps will produce large
savings through "efficiencies" are overblown.
-
Tax caps can be particularly
harmful if adopted during a weak economy.
-
State aid can't be relied upon to
fill the gap.
-
Changes in school enrollment can
have a big impact.
-
Without effectively targeted state
aid, low-income communities will fall even further behind.
-
Wealthier communities will override
a tax cap more frequently than poorer ones.
-
Middle-income communities might end
up bearing the brunt of a cap.
RESPONSE from the Commission
on Property Tax Relief >>
May 21, 2008.
Statement from Chairman Thomas J. Suozzi.
MORE from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities >>
May 28, 2008.
Suozzi's Statement Ignores Truth
about Massachusetts' Property Tax Cap.
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New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief
www.cptr.state.ny.us
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FPI
publications
June 22, 2011.
Proposed New York property tax cap is much more restrictive than the
Massachusetts cap after which it is supposedly modeled. No lawmaker or
taxpayer should be one bit reassured by the Massachusetts experience with a tax
cap. New analysis from FPI's Frank Mauro shows what a New York-style tax cap
would mean if it had been in effect in Massachusetts over the last decades.
Property tax revenues would be less than half what they are today, with
devastating implications for the entire array of locally-funded public services.
June 15, 2011.
Proposed Cap Does Not
Address New York's Property Tax "Problem." A deeper look at the data used to
support the proposed cap shows that New York’s real tax problem is that hundreds
of thousands of low, moderate and middle income families are already paying
inordinate shares of their income in property taxes on their primary residences.
Only a middle-class Circuit Breaker can provide effective relief for these
families in a targeted and cost-efficient manner.
Analysis >>
Omnibus Consortium release >>
June 1, 2011.
Incorrect diagnosis of New York's
property tax "problem" will lead to a remedy that is likely to do more harm than
good. Massachusetts' experience with Proposition 2 1/2 does not support the
claim that a cap of the type proposed by Governor Cuomo is workable let alone
desirable. If a hard cap of the lesser of 2 percent or the rate of inflation,
with no overrides, had been in effect in Massachusetts since 1981-82, that
state's property tax revenue would be about 60 percent less than it currently
is. The Governor's proposed cap would undermine the quality of the entire array
of locally funded public services while providing very little relief to those
homeowners who are most overburdened by real property taxes. New York can learn
from the Massachusetts experience but not if it ignores the reality of that
experience.
Analysis
>>
March 1, 2011.
Short Term Property
Tax Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Approach. Testimony of FPI's
Frank Mauro at the public hearing "Cap on Real Property Taxes" before
the Assembly Standing Committees on Ways and Means, Education, Real Property
Taxation, Local Government and Cities. A cap on real property taxes would not
effectively protect those most in need of property tax relief, and would
exacerbate inequities in our current system of public school finance. In the
short run. a property tax circuit breaker provides effective and targeted
relief. Over time, we should reform New York's state-local tax system by having
the state gradually take responsibility for the financing of a greater share of
the essential services that New York State performs through its local
governments.
March 12, 2009. Exploring
progressive changes to New York State’s personal income tax system. This
testimony, presented
by FPI executive director Frank Mauro
to the New York State Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform, includes
a discussion of the Omnibus Tax Reform Bill. The goal of the bill: to restore
fairness to taxation with both short term relief and long term solutions.
More at
omnibustaxsolution.org >>
February 22, 2009.
Major education
organizations release analysis showing 64 percent of school districts face cuts
in excess of $15,000 per classroom. Sixty districts face cuts over $30,000
per classroom due to Governor Paterson's $2.5 billion in school aid cuts.
Education committee chairwomen Assemblywoman Nolan and Senator Oppenheimer join
education advocates in calling for school aid restorations. Organizations call
for fair share tax reform.
Release with 14-page
district-by-district analysis.
January 30, 2009.
School Finance On Long Island: An Analysis of State
and Local Funding Patterns. FPI researched and wrote this paper for the Rauch Foundation as
a supplemental report to
Long Island Index 2009, a study of how Long Island is
faring as a region. The index includes reports on specific indicators selected
to reflect region-wide impact and interests, and identifies emerging trends and
gaps that should be addressed now to avoid future problems. FPI was also cited
widely in another section of the Index,
Long Island's Educational Structure.
August 15, 2008.
Short Term Tax
Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Bill Approach.
Tax reform options are receiving little attention during the
current property tax debate as elected officials, the media, advocates
and the general public look for ways to deliver more immediate property
tax relief. In this presentation, FPI's Executive Director Frank Mauro
makes the case for the Omnibus Property Tax Relief and Reform Act. He
argues that immediate relief is best provided by a well-targeted
property tax circuit-breaker; and that to ease the pressure on the local
property tax base over the longer term, the state should implement a
10-year plan for gradually taking over $6 billion of local school costs,
an additional $1 billion of Medicaid costs, and $3 billion of the cost
of basic municipal services.
Presentation >>
and bill language >>
June 2, 2008.
Testimony on Proposed
Legislation Addressing Real Property Taxation Issues. Presented by FPI
Executive Director Frank Mauro to the Senate Standing Committee on Local
Government and Assembly Standing Committee on Real Property Taxation. The Middle
Class STAR rebate program is better targeted than the original STAR program in
that in takes income into consideration. However, Middle Class STAR is still not
efficient and equitable property tax relief, since it does not take the size of
a homeowner's property tax bill into consideration and it is still based on
county and school district average of important variables. A circuit breaker
like S.1053-a/A.1575-a would address both of these shortcomings. The bill would
be improved by a broader definition of income.
March 6, 2008.
The Role of Property Taxes in New
York's State-Local Tax System. A presentation by Frank Mauro, executive director
of FPI, at Changing the Property Tax System in New York, a conference sponsored
by
TREND, the Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess.
February 12, 2008.
Setting the Context for Commission Deliberations.
Prepared by Frank Mauro,
executive director of FPI,
for the February 12, 2008, meeting of the New York State Commission on Property
Tax Relief. Additional links:
February 11, 2008.
Property Taxes in New York:
A State Problem Calling for a State Solution. Why are property taxes so high
in New York? State fiscal policies have created the bind. A look at four reforms
that would help - and could be funded in a way that makes the overall tax system
fairer. In the meantime, a middle class circuit breaker would ease the pressure
on the property tax much more effectively that the Middle Class STAR program.
December 13, 2007.
Testimony of
Frank Mauro before the NYS Division of the Budget Public Hearing on Property
Taxes. Description of the special problems faced by New York localities
with relatively weak tax bases compared to their needs.
To a large extent, state fiscal policies have caused great pressure on property
taxes in needy cities, counties and school districts, including decisions: to
reduce revenue sharing; to decrease the share of local school budgets covered by
state aid, to divide the non-federal share of Medicaid costs without considering
ability to pay, and
to allocate STAR benefits in a way that exacerbates fiscal disparities.
December 5, 2007.
Testimony of Frank Mauro before the NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Real
Property Taxation. Using data from the American Community Survey, FPI
estimates the cost, number of beneficiaries and average benefits of the
circuit breaker credit, as proposed (Galef/Little
A.1575/S.1053)
and with several
modifications.
October 15, 2007.
Property
Taxes on Long Island: Zeroing in on the Problems and Solutions. This report
takes a fresh look at the property tax "crisis" and finds that: flawed
evaluations have resulted in flawed solutions, taxpayers in poorer districts
struggle the most, and voters in wealthy districts choose to pay for high
quality schools while voters in poorer districts have a much higher rate of
rejecting school budgets. Two oft-touted reforms have a negative impact on local
control and school equity; circuit breaker reform in contrast can be well
targeted to those who need relief most. Released jointly with
Alliance for Quality Education, the
Public Policy and Education Fund, and the
Long Island Progressive Coalition.
January 10, 2007.
How to Reduce the Pressure on the Property Tax and Ease the Fiscal Burden on
Struggling Local Governments. The four-point plan supported by FPI:
implement a statewide solution to CFE; increase state's share of Medicaid and
base counties' shares on ability to pay; restore commitment to revenue sharing;
and eliminate the significant disparities in the STAR program. Prepared for the
Center on Governmental Research conference on reforming property taxes in New
York. More here.
November 20, 2006.
One
New York: An Agenda for Shared Prosperity.
With a new governor in Albany for the first time in 12 years, New Yorkers have
high expectations for the future, seeing a rare opportunity for the state to
reevaluate its policies in a wide variety of areas. This political moment
provides a particularly exciting chance for state government to develop a
coherent economic agenda that will allow all of New York's regions to realize
their full potential. One New York: An Agenda for Shared Prosperity is
the Fiscal Policy Institute's contribution to this much-needed effort.
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Other resources
A pair of op eds on the Massachusetts property tax cap from the
Albany Times Union,
September 7, 2008:
A taxing solution: A tax cap forces Mass. towns to think about spending, by
Richard P. Tisei, leader of the Republican minority in the
Massachusetts Senate, and
Bay State's Proposition 2 1/2 not without difficulties, by Michael J. Widmer,
president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
A point/counterpoint pair of op eds on the proposed tax cap from the
Albany Times Union,
July 20, 2008:
Cap pressures government, not residents, to perform, by John J. Faso, former
gubernatorial candidate, and
Circuit breaker the best way to limit property tax impact, by Ron Deutsch,
executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.
Property Tax Caps
White Paper.
From the New York State PTA. (July 14, 2008)
TREND NY Poll Says New Yorkers Prefer
Circuit Breaker over Cap. The Tax Reform Effort
of Northern Dutchess (TREND)
conducted a random automated phone survey of more than 500 registered voters,
and found that New Yorkers prefer a property tax circuit breaker to a property
tax cap two to one. (June 23, 2008)
It's Elementary. A monthly column by John Yinger, director of the Education
Finance and Accountability Program and professor, Syracuse University's Maxwell
School. See especially:
Materials from the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Galef/Little
Circuit Breaker Calculator
with both the upstate and the downstate brackets. From
the Real Property Tax Reform Coalition website.
Property Tax Caps: What We Can Learn
From Other States and Circuit Breakers: A Safety Measure to Prevent a Dangerous
Overload. Presentations by
Robert McKeon of TREND and John Whiteley, Tri-County
Committee for Property Tax Relief,
respectively, at Changing the Property Tax System in New York, a conference
sponsored by TREND, the Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess.
(March 6, 2008)
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Events
PAST EVENTS
August 13, 2010, White Plains.
New York State Senate Hearing:
The Future of Property Tax Relief in New York State.
Experts in the fields of tax, local government, and education, including
FPI's Frank Mauro, testified on the following questions and more: Should New
York State take over the county share of Medicaid? Should New York State expand
the real property tax circuit-breaker? Is there a more efficient, fairer way to
fund our public schools? How can school districts and localities to share
resources and services to operate more efficiently and reduce costs?
Flier >>
October 19, 2009,
Hopewell Junction. Frank Mauro
of the Fiscal Policy Institute discussed the workings of New York
State’s current property tax system as part of a public forum on Property Tax
Relief for New Yorkers hosted by Assemblyman Marcus Molinaro. Also as part
of this forum, John Whiteley of the New
York State Property Tax Reform Coalition discussed property tax relief and
reform options for New York State.
Video >>
October 13, 2009, Albany.
Roundtable Meeting: Real Property Tax Exemptions.
Convened by
Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform, chaired by Senator Liz
Krueger, as mounting property tax exemptions impose greater burdens on taxpayers
and potentially act a hurdle to property tax reform. FPI's Frank Mauro was among
the participants.
August 23, 2008, Elizabethtown.
Achieving a Fairer Tax
System. A discussion forum sponsored by the Lincoln Pond Association.
Presentations by John Whiteley (of the Tri-County Committee for Property Tax
Relief and the NYS Property Tax
Reform Coalition) and Frank Mauro of FPI, followed by a general discussion.
August 18, 2008, Albany. Property Tax Caps: The Massachusetts Experience and
Lessons for New York.
Returning for a special session, the New York State legislature is
poised to consider the governor's call to place caps on our state's school
property taxes. How would the property tax cap proposal work and what are the
consequences?
Sponsored by FPI and
New Yorkers for Fiscal
Fairness. Featured speaker: Iris Lav of the
Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities.
June 13, 2008, White Plains.
The Future of Property Tax Relief in New York State, a New York State
Senate Public Hearing. The public was invited to testify on whether New York
should take over the county share of Medicaid; expand the real property
tax circuit-breaker; find a more efficient, fairer way to fund public schools;
impose a school property tax cap; or consolidate school districts or local
governments. Flier.
June 10, 2008, Albany.
Broad-based coalition
unites to oppose arbitrary property tax cap.
In a joint press release, representatives of a diverse group of organizations
summarized the key shortcomings of property tax caps like the proposal advanced
by Gov. David Paterson. The coalition members argued that New York needs
property tax relief, but that an artificial cap would harm educational programs
and doom efforts to close the achievement gap.
June 7-8, 2008, Long Island. Iris Lav, deputy director of the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities, was a guest on WLIW's public affairs show,
Crosson and Welles. Link to
video. Lav is the lead author
of Hidden Consequences: Lessons
from Massachusetts for States Considering a Property Tax Cap.
May 22, 2008, New City. FPI executive director Frank Mauro was the
keynote speaker at a public meeting on the property tax circuit breaker. Hosted
by State Senator Thomas Morahan and Assemblymembers Ellen Jaffee and Kenneth
Zebrowski, Jr. at the Rockland County Legislative Chambers. Handout:
Property Taxes in New York:
A State Problem Calling for a State Solution.
May 16, 2008, Greenburgh. Public meeting of the Alternative Funding and
Fiscal Reform for Public Education (AFFIRM ED) task force, convened by Senator
Andrea Stewart-Cousins to explore ways to provide reliable, adequate funding for
public education. This public meeting was intended to inform the ongoing effort
of AFFIRM Ed to address this important issue and the many related issues,
including tax reform.
Flier.
May 14, 2008, Saratoga Springs. Senior economist Trudi Renwick
participated in a panel discussion of property tax reform at the
2008 Conference on
State Taxation sponsored by the Business Council of New York State.
Agenda,
presentation.
May 5, 2008, Latham.
Senior economist Trudi Renwick
discussed property taxes and the enacted state budget in a
presentation to
the Long Island Federation of Labor.
May 1, 2008, Goshen. Executive director Frank Mauro talked about the
state budget and related tax issues with an emphasis on school finance and
property tax relief. Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther also spoke. The forum was
sponsored by the Orange County Democratic Alliance.
May 1, 2008, New Paltz. Executive director Frank Mauro spoke about the economics
of tax reform at a meeting of the Ulster County Legislature's Blue Ribbon
Commission on School Funding and Tax Reform. News articles:
Property tax burden takes center stage in speech by fiscal expert
(May 3, Kingston Daily Freeman);
The
problem with property taxes discussed (May 2, Mid-Hudson News).
Radio:
- MP3 (May 1, WAMC).
April 10, 2008, Syracuse.
FPI executive director Frank Mauro spoke at the
meeting of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief.
Transcript (starting on page 7).
March 6, 2008, Hyde Park. FPI executive director Frank Mauro spoke at
Changing the Property Tax System in
New York, a conference for local leaders and lawmakers. The
conference was hosted by the Tax Reform Effort
of Northern Dutchess (TREND) and sponsored by the Northern Dutchess
Alliance. Other speakers included Robert McKeon of TREND and John
Whiteley, Tri-County Committee for Property Tax Relief. Presentations:
Mauro,
McKeon,
Whiteley.
February 12, 2008. FPI executive director Frank Mauro spoke at the
meeting of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief. Links:
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News
December 4, 2011.
Tax cap springs leaks: Towns call law unsustainable amid capital projects,
pension hikes. By Elizabeth Ganga and Akiko Matsuda, Journal News.
November 15, 2011. Tax
reformers ready to fight, criticize cap. By Meghan E. Murphy, Middletown
Times Herald-Record.
November 14, 2011. Tax
cap opponents shift tactics - They call for "circuit breaker" that would shift
how schools, governments are funded. By Rick Karlin, Albany Times Union.
July 10, 2011. Massachusetts has spent 30 years living with a property-tax cap. By Cara
Matthews, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Also in
the
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin,
the
Journal News (Westchester and Rockland), and the Albany Times-Union.
In Massachusetts, local governments adopt one budget that includes
municipal and school spending. Voters make the decision on all overrides.
Proposition 21/2 is less restrictive than New York's new cap, said Frank
Mauro, executive director of the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute in
Albany.
As a result, the average annual growth in Massachusetts' property tax
revenue was about 5.5 percent a year between 1981-82 and 2009-10, he wrote in
a report last month.
New York's cap "would undermine the quality of the entire array of
locally funded public services while providing very little relief, if any, to
those homeowners who are most overburdened by real property taxes," he wrote.
The Massachusetts cap includes some exemptions and a less stringent
override provision - a simple majority, Mauro said.
June 30, 2011.
Property tax cap proves elusive. Ongoing debate: Some say that it won't do
enough, others believe the concept is too restrictive. By Brian Amaral,
Watertown Daily Times.
June 10, 2011. Comparing
the New York and Massachusetts tax caps. The Capitol Report with Susan
Arbetter.
June 6, 2011.
Cuomo lauds Mass. tax cap; others say comparison to NY flawed. By Elizabeth
Cooper, Utica Observer-Dispatch.
Frank Mauro, of the Albany-based Fiscal Policy Institute, said that even
with the cap, Massachusetts' property-tax revenue had increased at roughly the
same pace as New York’s.
"If you are looking to Massachusetts for salvation you are diagnosing
the problem wrong," Mauro said. "Growth in New York and Massachusetts have
been about the same."
May 25, 2011.
Tax cap deal announced by Gov. Cuomo criticized by those who say it doesn't
provide relief to homeowners. By James M. Odato, Albany Times Union.
April 26, 2011. State struggles to end STAR tax break for the
wealthy. Bu Joesph Spector and Cathey O'Donnell, Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle. Poughkeepsie Journal. Also in the
Poughkeepsie
Journal, the
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, the
Elmira Star Gazette, and the
Ithaca Journal.
"This is reform at the edges," Frank Mauro, executive director of the
union-backed Fiscal Policy Institute, said of the cap on STAR benefits.
"The fundamental illogic of STAR remains. But the problem is because it
gives benefits to almost everyone in the state, it's a very popular program
and difficult to reform."
March 28, 2011.
Five-year plan for funding education in NY. Reported by
Greg Fry, WAMC.
March 25, 2011.
New Paltz forum focuses on education in New York state and how it is funded.
By William J. Kemble, Kingston Daily Freeman.
February 15, 2011.
Shift Education Funding To
Income Tax Says Assemblyman at Galef-Sponsored Forum. philipstown.info.
January 24, 2011. Unlikely
Allies Fight Cuomo's Plan for Property Tax Cap. By Winnie Hu, New York
Times.
January 20, 2011.
Some groups tout tax circuit-breaker plan. By Chris McKenna,
Middletown Times Herald-Record.
December 16, 2010.
Omnibus Consortium
offers tax relief solution other than tax cap. News 10, Albany.
August 26, 2010.
Real Reform Needed. An editorial on property tax reform in the Ithaca
Times.
May 30, 2010.
Detractors weigh in on school property tax cap. By Cara Matthews and
Meaghan M. McDermott, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
May 15, 2010.
New York considers ways to provide property tax relief: Several plans call for
placing cap on rates. By Cara Matthews, Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Also in the
Elmira Star-Gazette
and the
Ithaca Journal.
Frank Mauro, head of the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute in New York,
said a cap would perpetuate current funding inequities among school districts.
"When you apply a percentage cap to change, you institutionalize the disparities
and you make them worse," Mauro said. He said a circuit-breaker system would
provide relief to the most overburdened homeowners.
April 2010.
Property Tax Relief: The Case for Circuit Breakers. By Daphne Kenyon, Adam
H. Langley, and Bethany P. Paquin. Published in Land Lines, the Lincoln
Institute of Land Policy’s quarterly magazine. The article features a full page
sidebar on "New York’s Effort to Provide Targeted Tax Relief."
December 21, 2009.
Property tax fix pondered in N.Y. Senate. By Cara Matthews,
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
October 28, 2009.
School advocates: Cuts unfairly applied. State formula hurts poor districts,
calculations show. By Meghan E. Murphy, Middletown Times Herald-Record.
October 13, 2009.
State lawmakers question property-tax exemptions. By Cara Matthews,
Elmira Star-Gazette.
June 2, 2009.
Circuit breaker supporters still hopeful despite a lack of funds. By Rick
Karlin, Capitol Confidential.
May 10, 2009.
Property-tax pain growing throughout the state: As economy stalls and prices
rise, more are feeling the squeeze. By Meghan E. Murphy, Middletown Times
Herald-Record.
CASE STUDY
Lisa and Anthony Kimball of the Village of Montgomery bought their home
three years ago at the peak of the market. Their budget is now being
squeezed by increasing property taxes. Here's how the three most-discussed
property reform bills in the state Senate would impact their taxes.
2008
Income: $85,000
Town tax: $1,827.59
Village tax: $2,426.60
School tax: $5,396.30
Total: $9,650.49
OPTION 1
Bill numbers: S.253/A.7094
What it does: Establishes a
circuit breaker credit that covers all property taxes based on property
value. Establishes brackets where those making under $100,000 get the
largest credit, which gradually decreases so taxpayers making more than
$250,000 receive no credit.
Total relief:
2009: $0.00
2010 and beyond: $3,185.34
OPTION 2
Bill number: S.4239
What it does: Similar to
S.253/A.7094. Establishes a circuit breaker credit for all property taxes
based on property value. The bill phases in over four years to give the
state time to shift funding. Taxpayers would see less savings in the first
three years. Those making under $100,000 get the largest credit, which
gradually decreases so taxpayers making more than $250,000 receive no
credit.
Total relief:
2009: $1,400.34
2010: $1,697.84
2011: $2,292.84
2012 and beyond: $3,185.34
OPTION 3
Bill number: S.1849-C
What it does: Re-establishes the
STAR rebate checks program beginning in fall 2009 and establishes a circuit
breaker credit that covers school property taxes beginning with the 2010
calendar year tax year.
Total relief:
2009: $421.22
2010: $628.63
2011: $698.83
2012 and beyond: $769.04
Source: Calculations provided for the Times Herald-Record by Frank Mauro,
executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute
April 24, 2009.
Property tax cap pushed. By Paul Post, The Saratogian.
Press release.
April 13, 2009.
NY
lawmakers asked to consider coalition’s circuit breaker tax plan. By
Anna Helhoski, Legislative Gazette.
March 27, 2009. Groups Support Governor Paterson’s Proposal to Eliminate
the STAR Rebate Checks; Consortium Says This Flawed Program Must be
Replaced with Meaningful Circuit Breaker. Watch this
video press conference to
learn more about how redirecting the funds now wasted on STAR rebates
will help balance this year's budget and in the longer term work toward
tax fairness.
Press release.
More at
omnibustaxsolution.org >>
March 25, 2010.
Taxes Through the Looking Glass Can Long Island have its cake and eat it too? An
alternate view of property taxes. By Lawrence C. Levy, Long Island Pulse
Magazine.
March 23, 2009.
Personal income tax reform: The least damaging way to close New York State's
budget gap. FPI's Frank Mauro interviewed by Fred Dicker on his Albany radio
show, TALK 1300 WGDJ.
Includes discussion of the omnibus tax reform bill.
(Interview starts at 33:50.)
March 20, 2009.
The New York State budget:
proposals to raise taxes and cut spending and whether we'll have an on time
budget this year.
FPI's Frank Mauro interviewed by
Host David Galletly on the Capitol Connection, WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
February 4, 2009.
NYS Budget: The STAR Rebate. By Rachel Ward, WXXI.
January 20, 2009. Group wants shift
in tax philosophy. By Edward J.
Carr, Legislative Gazette.
January 15, 2009. Advocates push for tax-relief plan. By Heather Senison, Journal News.
January 14, 2009.
Groups wants state to relieve middle-class tax
burden. By Heather Senison,
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.
January 14, 2009.
Reformers to propose new property tax cap law. By Paul Post, The
Saratogian.
August 28, 2008.
Let wealthy relieve tax burden of poor. By Dan Cantor, Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle.
August 22, 2008.
Poll numbers and the property tax: Another take. By Dan Janison, Newsday's
Spin Cycle blog.
August 22, 2008.
Compromise remains elusive. By Joseph Spector, Journal News.
August 18, 2008.
Tax cap lessons from Bay State. Reported by
Curtis
Schick. Capital News 9. Also on
Syracuse News 10.
August 17, 2008.
Paterson's tax cap proposal criticized. By Sara Foss, Schenectady Daily
Gazette.
August 16, 2008.
Property tax reform proponents unveil plan: Legislators, group back 'circuit
breaker.' By John Davis, Poughkeepsie Journal.
The occasion was the unveiling of the Omnibus Bill that would combine
short-term tax relief and long-term tax reform. It proposes enacting a
"circuit breaker" and, in the long run, shifting costs to the state.
The Omnibus Bill is the brainchild of Frank Mauro, director of the
Fiscal Policy Institute, an Albany-based economic think tank.
"We came up with this vision that sort of embraces the best of a number
of bills out there," he said.
August 16, 2008.
Bill would offer immediate relief on property tax. By
Jeremiah Horrigan, Middletown Times Herald-Record.
August 16, 2008.
Property tax reform bill proposed at Ulster conference. Mid-Hudson News.
Also in the
Catskill News.
August 16, 2008.
Ulster lawmaker, institute chief offer property tax reform bill. Kingston
Daily Freeman.
August 14, 2008.
Galef
pushes for 'circuit-breaker' tax relief bill. By Robert Marchant, Journal
News.
August 12, 2008.
Capping the Tax Growth. WBNG-Binghamton.
August 7, 2008.
Finding fair funding in New York without tax caps. By Greg Jobin-Leeds,
chairman of the Schott Foundation for Public Education and vice chairman of
Education Voters of America, Newsday.
July 30, 2008. A special
roundtable discussion on New York's economic health convened by WAMC-Albany
in the wake of Governor Paterson's proposed budget cuts. Hosted by Alan Chartock.
 
July 16, 2008.
Rethinking caps. An editorial from the Albany Times Union.
We hope this comes as a wake-up call to Governor Paterson and the state
lawmakers who continue to push for a cap on property taxes of 4 percent a
year. [...]
More New Yorkers, it seems, are recognizing that a better alternative is
the circuit breaker, which would give homeowners an income tax reduction based
on the percentage of their earnings that go toward property taxes.
July 1, 2008.
Tax Cap Hot Topic this Summer.
By Karen DeWitt, WXXI. A story about this summer's battling advocacy efforts -
with www.taxcutnow.com promoting the
circuit breaker concept and lining up against
www.taxcapnow.com.
June 16, 2008.
Arguments Against a Property Tax Cap. A segment on Capital Tonight with
Brian Taffe. David Little, director of governmental
affairs for the New York School Boards Association, summarizes many of the key
arguments against a property tax cap, and FPI executive director Frank Mauro
presents the Fiscal Policy Institute's alternative approach to property tax
reform and relief.
June 12, 2008.
Too 'Blunt' - Objections to governor's tax cap plan have some merit. An
editorial from the Syracuse Post-Standard.
The governor should take another run through his toolbox and consider some
more precise instruments. One promising possibility is the so-called
"circuit-breaker" plan that is mentioned in Suozzi's report.
June 5, 2008.
Researchers Split on Educational Effects of Property Tax Cap. By Elizabeth
Green, New York Sun.
June 4, 2008.
Property Taxes
'08, an Election-Year Gimmick in New York State. An editorial from the
New York Times.
The best part of the Suozzi proposal could be done more quickly. That is a
"circuit breaker" program that would freeze individual property taxes when they
became too large a percentage of a homeowner's income.
June 4, 2008.
Tax cap caveats. An editorial from the Albany Times Union.
June 4, 2008.
Paterson to
propose school property tax cap. By Bob Conner, Schenectady Gazette.
June 3, 2008.
Taxed to the Max: NY Homeowners Need Relief. A op-ed by Tom Suozzi, New
York Post.
June 3, 2008.
Cap called key to tax relief. By Rick Karlin, Albany Times Union.
June 2, 2008.
Eying
the Bay State's Tax Cap. By Jacob Gershman, New York Sun.
May 28, 2008.
Silver would nix 'circuit-breaker': Tax relief plan can wait, he says. By
Jay Gallagher, Poughkeepsie Journal. Also in the
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
May 27, 2008.
Tax cap
report, though late, still stirring debate. By Maria Brandecker,
Legislative Gazette.
May 24, 2008.
Property-tax cap on the table: Plan faces tough fight in Legislature. By
Paul Brooks, Middletown Times Herald-Record.
May 23, 2008.
Tax Relief: Property taxes can be reined in without hurting schools. An
editorial from the Syracuse Post-Standard.
Residents are rightly fed up with their property tax burden and rightly
concerned about school spending. But a blanket cap on how much their districts
can spend could end up hurting both them and their children. The circuit-breaker
plan would do neither.
May 23, 2008.
Rocklanders hear and discuss plans for a state
tax-decrease program. By Steve Lieberman, Journal News.
A story about the May 22 forum at which FPI executive director Frank Mauro
spoke.
Handout:
Property Taxes in New York:
A State Problem Calling for a State Solution.
May 22, 2008.
Report blasts tax-cap idea. By Jay Gallagher, Journal News.
May 22, 2008.
Property Tax Commission Report Due June 3rd. From EcuProphets, "weblog
of the New York State ecumenical community committed to peace and justice."
May 21, 2008.
Tax cap talk. By Rick Karlin, Times Union Capitol Confidential.
May 20, 2008.
Plan would cap property tax hikes: Proposal is one of several recommendations
from state commission to be presented June 3. By Jim Odato, Albany Times
Union.
May 20, 2008.
Learn about 'circuit breaker' bill to zap property tax burden. An op ed by
Irv Feiner, Journal News.
May 18, 2008.
Rockland state legislators to host forum on tax relief proposal. By Sarah
Netter, Journal News.
May 13, 2008.
Homeowners might get help: Proposal aims at taxes. By Paul Brooks,
Middletown Times Herald-Record.
May 5, 2008.
How Tax Circuit Breaker Would Affect Your Budget. By Delen
Goldberg, Syracuse Post-Standard. Also in the Post-Standard:
How would a tax "circuit breaker" affect you? Use our calculator. By
Douglass Dowty.
Wouldn't it be nice if there were a mechanism to keep your property
taxes in line with your income? Proposed bill would cap property taxes based
on homeowner's annual income. About 340,000 upstaters could benefit.
May 4, 2008.
Cash-sucking machines. An editorial from Newsday.
Trudi Renwick, senior economist with the left-leaning Fiscal Policy
Institute says the formula includes three tiers and at least a half-dozen
variables. "To devise a formula that gives money to the highest-income
districts," she says, "you really have to get convoluted."
May 3, 2008.
Property tax burden takes center stage in speech by fiscal expert. By Hank
Gross, Kingston Daily Freeman.
May 2, 2008.
The
problem with property taxes discussed. Mid-Hudson News.
March 14, 2008.
State must work to fix property
tax problem. By
FPI senior economist Trudi Renwick,
The Saratogian.
March 7, 2008.
Meeting explores options for property-tax reform. By Christine Pizzuti,
Poughkeepsie Journal.
February 14, 2008.
Griffo cosponsors legislation to cap property taxes for homeowners. Rome
Observer.
February 11, 2008.
New kind of
property tax cap suggested. By Maria Brandecker, Legislative Gazette.
February 11, 2008.
'Circuit breaker' program may ease taxes.
By Maury Thompson, Glens Falls
Post-Star.
February 11, 2008.
Griffo boosts bill
to limit property taxes based on homeowner income. Rome Sentinel.
February 7, 2008.
Little pushes bill to cap property taxes. By Heather Sackett, Adirondack
Daily Enterprise.
February 5, 2008.
Plan to link tax breaks to income: Lawmakers propose "circuit breaker" that
gives rebates to those who need it most. By Rick Karlin, Albany Times
Union.
February 5, 2008.
N.Y. lawmakers have plan to limit property taxes. By Jay Gallagher, Gannett
News Service. Also in the
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the
Journal News, the
Poughkeepsie Journal, and the
Ithaca Journal.
February 5, 2008.
Lawmakers plan to limit property tax rebates. By James T. Madore, Newsday.
February 5, 2008.
Little property tax bill gets support. By Maury Thompson, Glens Falls
Post-Star.
February 4, 2008.
Lawmakers Offer New Property Tax Relief Proposal. Reported by Walt McClure,
WXXA Fox News 23 Albany.
February 4, 2008.
Galef, Little Bill Would Tie Property Taxes to Income: Legislation gains support
of tax groups, Fiscal Policy Institute. Press Release, Office of
Assemblywoman Sandy Galef.
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