News stories tagged with "tax-cap"

(05/16/12) It was school budget day in New York State yesterday. Voters from one side of the state to the other had their say on their local district's spending plan for the coming year.

It was a tough year for the schools, with a continuing loss of state education aid, and a new state-imposed limit on property taxes used to fund many of the programs and positions local communities value.

The vast majority of budgets passed in the North Country; most including significant cuts in teachers and programs. Martha Foley talked with Brian Mann for a survey of the regional results.

(05/14/12) Voters across New York state will decide Tuesday whether or not to approve their local school district budgets, and the property tax levies needed to pay for them. School budgets are complicated, to say the least, and they're even more complicated this year because the new 2% property tax increase cap is putting additional limits on what school boards can ask for. Many schools have had to make serious cuts in the last couple years--and are now looking at more.

We heard last week on how one rural school district is trying to balance its financial needs with money coming from local taxes and the state. For a wider view, WRVO's Catherine Loper spoke with Rick Timbs, executive director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium. They spoke about the effect this year's budget cycle will have on schools and the future of education funding in New York--and about new questions raised by the tax cap: more

(04/26/12) Schools around the North Country are trying figure out how to provide quality education in the midst of a historic budget squeeze. In Plattsburgh, school officials are asking taxpayers to do more to keep enrichment and arts programs alive. Sarah Harris has that story. more

(02/02/12) Mandate relief--especially on Medicaid costs--was at the forefront of many county leaders' minds at the annual meeting this week of the New York State Association of Counties.

In his budget address January 17th, Governor Cuomo laid out a plan for the state to take over increases in Medicaid costs over the next few years--but some county leaders say that's not enough. more

(01/13/12) More than fifty towns around New York inappropriately exceeded the state's property tax cap. That's according to the office of state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. more

(12/16/11) A study by the New York State School Boards Association finds three quarters of the state's school districts would have exceeded the new 2% property tax cap, had it been in effect for the current school year budget. The group predicts that the new tax cap and schools are "on a collision course." In Albany, Karen DeWitt has more.

(12/16/11) The Board of Regents proposal would give 73% of increased state aid to high-need districts. That could help North Country schools, which are among the poorest in the state.

As Martha Foley reports, Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports changes that would send more money to the neediest districts, but he wants to put students front and center as the conversation about aid to schools goes forward. more

(12/08/11) North Country lawmakers are praising the outcome of the special session held yesterday in Albany.

Republican state Senator Betty Little from Queensbury said the income tax deal negotiated by Governor Cuomo would cut income taxes for the "vast majority of New Yorkers." Little predicted the tax plan would "encourage economic activity and job growth."

Eight Assembly Republicans voted against the tax overhaul. North Country Republicans in the Assembly approved it, with reservations. more

(11/10/11) We reported Tuesday on Essex County's efforts to stay within Governor Andrew Cuomo's new 2% cap on property tax increases. Since the legislature approved the cap in June, it's been controversial. Some have welcomed it. But several communities, including Massena, have taken steps to override the cap.

Other communities and some lawmakers have taken the state to task for mandating local spending on programs like Medicaid, while limiting local revenue.

Wednesday in an appearance on the public radio program Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter, Cuomo defended the cap--and talked about why he thinks it's an important--but not inescapable--guideline for local governments: more

(11/07/11) Budget season is heating up for town and county governments, and in Essex County that could mean some big changes.

A pair of popular county-run services - the Horace Nye Nursing Home and the fish hatchery - could be cut loose as lawmakers look to present a budget that meets the state's new 2 percent property tax cap.

Supervisors are also considering layoffs, after a key union that represents 450 workers declined to renegotiate the final year of its contract. more