Bossart Serves on Statewide Task Force to Recommend Property Tax Relief

A report released Thursday by the New York State Conference of Mayors' Task Force on Mandate and Property Tax Relief recommended a slew of proposals that should be considered before the state Legislature can adopt a property tax cap, while identifying rising costs that are beyond local control that should be excluded from such a cap.

Mayor Mary Bossart joined a delegation of mayors from across Long Island  to respond to the report entitled, "You Can't Cap What You Can't Control."

The report specifically highlighted ways to offer relief to local governments saddled with rising employee pensions, health insurance and police and firefighter disability benefits, and help lower municipal infrastructure costs.

"A property tax cap without mandate relief and necessary exclusions is doomed to fail," said Peter Baynes, NYCOM's executive director, in a press release. "The untenable reality is that employee benefits would, in a few short years, consume every single dollar of capped property taxes."

Bossart explained that though it's a good idea to try and instill a property tax cap, a reform package of mandate relief needs to be included to make it work.

"State mandates have tied the hands of local officials for many years, particularly regarding public sector salaries and benefits," Bossart said.  "These costs are the largest single component of village budgets and the most difficult to control because they are collectively bargained and, in the case of public safety, subject to binding arbitration. This report highlights the necessary steps that must be taken to finally give us the ability to better manage our finances without having to resort to drastic cuts in services and jobs."

In addition to calling on the state to impose a temporary freeze on public sector wages, the recommendations focused on ways to provide property tax relief by reducing local government expenses associated with employee pensions, health insurance, and police and firefighter disability benefits.  The report also identified necessary reforms to the prevailing wage and civil service laws that would help lower municipal infrastructure costs and provide public employers greater ability to manage their workforce so they can provide services more cost effectively.  

"Only a property tax cap with mandate relief and necessary exclusions can provide necessary relief to our taxpayers," Bossart said. "Projected growth in pension and health insurance costs alone will exceed the 2 percent tax cap fivefold in its first two years." 

According to NYCOM President Sam Teresi, Mayor of the City of Jamestown, the Task Force's recommendations were sent to governor-elect Cuomo and the state legislature and will be discussed during the upcoming legislative session.