This website is intended to help state and local officials, the media and the public better understand the direct connection between state actions – e.g., state aid and state mandates – and New York's real property tax burden. Local officials and private citizens can and should use this site as a resource to help educate state leaders, legislators and opinion makers on those state mandates that are the key culprits in obstructing local officials efforts to control spending and property taxes.

This education process is now more important than ever, as the imposition of a property tax cap in New York appears likely to occur. A tax cap without mandate relief will do nothing to address the true cost drivers that plague municipal budgets, and is therefore doomed to fail. Taxpayers in New York will get the two things they need most – lower taxes and the continuation of essential municipal services – only if Albany finally demonstrates the will to reform state mandates, giving local officials the tools and flexibility to implement real and sustainable property tax relief.

In the meantime, however, the State Legislature continues to consider other legislative iniatives including the recently enacted early retirement incentive bill.  This law applies to state and local employees under the New York State and Local Employee Retirement System, the New York City Retirement Systems and the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System.  Employees in the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System are not eligible. The two incentives contained in the bill -- an additional service credit incentive under Part A and a 55/25 retirement option under Part B -- are optional for local government and school district employers.   The hope is that these retirement incentives will help achieve cost savings and avoid public employee layoffs until the state’s fiscal picture improves.