New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle A - Governor's Office › Chapter I - Executive Orders › Part 6 - Executive Orders (Eliot Spitzer) › Section 6.22 - Executive order no. 22: appointing the new york state commission on property tax relief

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
WHEREAS, high local property taxes impose a tremendous
					 burden on New York taxpayers, including forcing seniors out of their homes,
					 driving our young people out of our state, and discouraging the formation and
					 expansion of businesses; and
WHEREAS, New York's per capita local tax burden is the
					 highest in the nation, and is more than twice the national average; and
WHEREAS, school district property taxes account for 61% of
					 the property taxes paid by New Yorkers outside of New York City, and these
					 taxes have been growing by an average of 7.3% annually; and
WHEREAS, local property taxes have continued to rise,
					 despite last year's historic increase in state education funding and numerous
					 State efforts to relieve the property tax burden; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to uncover the root causes of high
					 property taxes, with particular examination of unfunded mandates on both school
					 districts and municipalities;
WHEREAS, the State's annual investment of $5 billion to
					 lessen the impact of property taxes through the School Tax Relief (STAR)
					 program has not mitigated the need for school districts to raise taxes over the
					 past few years; and
WHEREAS, consideration must be given to the implementation
					 of a fair and effective cap on school district property taxes while maintaining
					 educational quality; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Eliot Spitzer, Governor of the State of
					 New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws
					 of the State of New York, including section six  of the Executive Law, do hereby
					 establish the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief, with the
					 following membership, responsibilities and powers:
1. The Commission shall be comprised of the
				  following seven members: Thomas R. Suozzi, who shall be the Chair, Shirley
				  Strum Kenny, Basil A. Paterson, Nicholas J. Pirro, Michael A. Solomon, Merryl
				  H. Tisch, and Paul A. Tokasz.
2.
				  The Commission shall examine and investigate the management and affairs of any
				  and all departments, boards, bureaus or commissions of the State of New York
				  with respect to the issue of local property taxes, including, but not limited
				  to:
(a) the root causes of New York's high
				  property tax burden, including the expenditures of local governments and school
				  districts, unfunded mandates imposed by the State, and other factors driving
				  the growth of local property tax levies;
(b) the impact of increased state financial
				  support and state taxpayer relief and rebate programs on local school district
				  budgets and tax levies;
(c) the
				  extent of public involvement in the development and approval of school and
				  other local government budgets;
(d)
				  the effectiveness of the various state mechanisms to provide property tax
				  relief to different classes of taxpayers;
(e) the effectiveness of property tax caps as
				  a mechanism to control growth in school district tax levies, the experience of
				  other states in implementing such caps, and the potential impact of such caps
				  on educational achievement; and
(f)
				  the most effective approach to imposing a limit on local school property tax
				  growth in New York State without adversely impacting the ability of school
				  districts to provide a quality education to all students.