Yesterday, June 4, Governor David A. Paterson (center) and County Executive Tom Suozzi (right) discussed the burden of Property Taxes with two Nassau County families. (Photo from NY.gov)
The visit to Nassau County was the Governor’s first stop on a statewide tour in which he will detail the savings a property tax cap could yield for New York’s families. The state’s rising tax burden has impacted its ability to retain young families, seniors and businesses – especially in the face of a national economic downturn. The Governor has made controlling taxes a chief priority of his administration.
“New York is the highest taxed state in the nation and we can no longer afford to ignore the reality that property taxes are driving people and businesses out of our state,” said Governor Paterson. “This trend is disrupting our quality of life because it is straining family budgets, separating grandchildren from grandparents, and discouraging the entrepreneurship that creates innovation and jobs. On Long Island, as in other parts of the state, the story is no different: New Yorkers are calling on their elected officials to come together to comprehensively address this issue.”
The Governor and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, the Commission’s chairman, met with two families – Patrick and Michele Martin and Keith and Lena Ritchie – at the Martins’ home in Williston Park. Patrick and Michele Martin have two children and have lived in their home for four years. In that time, the Martin’s school property taxes have risen 29 percent, from $3,525 to $4,547. The Governor also met with Keith and Lena Ritchie, of Bethpage, who have three children and have seen their school property taxes rise from $3,200 to $6,680 over the past decade, an average of 11 percent each year.
Nassau County is the second highest taxed county in the nation with the average homeowner paying more than $7,700 in property taxes each year. Since 2001, school property tax levies have increased by more than 50 percent – more than twice the rate of inflation Had a school property tax cap been enacted five years ago, the Martins would have saved approximately $1,200 over that period or six percent of their tax bill. Countywide, homeowners could have seen up to seventeen percent in savings in their school taxes last year, or as much as $3700 in savings over the five years.
“Long Island is an appropriate backdrop to talk about soaring property taxes and their devastating impact on homeowners and businesses across our state. I thank the Governor for making this his first stop and for being a champion in the fight against property taxes,” said County Executive Suozzi, chairman of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief. “As Chair of the Commission, I am gratified that some have called our report ‘the most pro-taxpayer report that Albany has seen in some time,’ and I look forward to working closely with the Governor as we fight to cap property taxes, help low and middle income homeowners, and reduce expenses for school districts, even as we remain committed to maintaining and enhancing educational quality across our state.”
Click here to read about Property Tax Relief Report released on Tuesday:
http://wantaghnews.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/ny-property-tax-relief-commission-report/
