No deal likely on school-tax cap
June 24, 2008
Legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson agreed Monday to reform New York’s laws governing the cleanup of polluted former industrial sites, but failed to offer relief to high taxes crippling property owners.
The changes to the state’s brownfield program was one of nine measures that leaders agreed to late Monday. Others included the approval of a video-lottery-terminal facility in the Catskills, new gun regulations, patient safety improvements and tighter laws on parolees.
Yet with lawmakers scheduled to leave the Capitol for the summer this week, agreements on pocketbook issues were unresolved.
Paterson was unable to get deals on a school property-tax cap that would limit tax increases to 4 percent growth a year, a victory for the powerful teachers’ union. Moreover, they did not agree to suspend taxes on gas for the summer months as a way to alleviate drivers’ pain at the pump.
Paterson, though, praised the agreements reached and left open the door for the state Legislature to return this summer to address a property-tax cap and other issues, such as reforms to the state’s industrial development agencies.
He said that a tax cap, which he introduced earlier this month, was unlikely to get legislative approval this session and needs further discussion. Paterson said in a later interview with Gannett News Service that by not aggressively pushing the tax cap on legislative leaders, he was able to use the issue as leverage to reach other accords.
Paterson said he also discouraged the Republican-led Senate from passing a one-house bill on a property-tax cap as a way to avoid alienating Assembly Democrats, who have yet to support a cap.
Paterson, who took over March 17 from disgraced Gov. Eliot Spitzer, missed the opportunity to get agreements on economic issues that are crippling the state, some watchdog groups said. The Assembly is expected to wrap up its session today, while the Senate may not come back until next month.
“This is like the kid waiting until the last minute to finish the term paper,” said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the state League of Women Voters. “They have not addressed what I think New Yorkers feel are most important to them.”
Source: Press Connects
Related Articles
- Albany Wraps Up Legislative Session
- Governor and Legislators $400 Million Apart on Budget
- Still No Plan to Rescue the City’s OTB Parlors
- Deal to slash state budget finalized
- State Senate to adopt cap on school property taxes
Comment on this article
