Our elected officials are subject to a great deal of criticism, and often quite justified. But there are times that we must step back and give them credit for doing the right thing.
When the property tax cap was implemented in 2011, debate ensued as to whether or not there should be a floor or a ceiling on the cap. In other words, if inflation was 3%, would the schools and local governments be able to exceed the 2% cap by following the level of inflation, or would they be capped at the lower 2%
Many caps in the past had allowed for that floating increase, but the legislators and the governor held fast to make sure that the 2% was indeed a ceiling. That pays great dividends this year, as inflation nationwide is exceeding 7%, while here on Long Island, it’s closer to 5%. In any event, schools and local budgets increases are limited to the 2% this year and are not allowed to float.
(While we must keep in mind that there are always standard exemptions, such as funding for bonds and pensions, we, nevertheless, are a lot better off having that 2% as a ceiling, rather than just a starting point.)
As Newsday emphasized in its excellent editorial, don’t be surprised if we see a movement sprouting from teachers’ unions and other big-spending interests to either do away with the cap or to modify it to allow it to flow with the higher inflation rate. https://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial/ny-property-tax[1]cap-1.50477450
We cannot be asleep at the switch as these anti-taxpayer elements seek to make Long Island even less affordable on which to live.
Our Center, along with many other taxpayer advocates, worked very hard – and successfully – to convert what was a Temporary Tax into a permanent one. We feel it is important that you be kept updated as to actions being considered to reverse this taxpayer protection.
Steve Levy is President of Common Sense Strategies, a political consulting firm. He served as Suffolk County Executive, as a NYS Assemblyman, and host of “The Steve Levy Radio Show.” He is the author of “Solutions to America’s Problems” and “Bias in the Media.” www.SteveLevy.info, Twitter @SteveLevyNY, steve@commonsensestrategies.com
