Issues: Taxes

It has been a busy week in Albany. We continue the process of examining the state budget. These are difficult financial times but working together, we will ultimately succeed in cutting expenses and providing a framework for real long-term relief. In order for us to improve our state's fiscal health, we need to provide residents with property tax relief, create jobs and control spending.

Shortly after taking office, the Governor announced the creation of the Mandate Relief Redesign Team  and charged  them with the task of reviewing existing state mandates and identifying mandates that are ineffective and outdated.  I was encouraged that the Governor made it abundantly clear that the path to tax relief needed, in part, to be achieved through mandate relief.

If you own your home, and are turning 65 or older anytime during 2011, and meet the income requirements, you may qualify for the “Enhanced” STAR program that can help reduce your school taxes this year. Enhanced STAR offers a bigger break on your property taxes than Basic STAR, which is available to most other homeowners.

You must apply for this important property tax relief benefit, and the deadline is March 1, 2011 in most towns and cities. (Exceptions include Utica, which has a deadline of Aug. 1; and Rome, with a deadline of July 26. But you can still send in your application now.) You won’t have to reapply every year if you enroll in the optional Income Verification Program.

Tax Credit Fraud Investigation by Dept. of Taxation & Finance Saves the State Millions

For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, February 8, 2011Please Contact: Ricja Rice, Esq., (518) 455-2580rrice@nysenate.gov

SENATOR PARKER PROMOTES SALES OF LOW-EMISSION AND ENERGY EFFICIENT VEHICLES

(Albany, NY)  Today, Senator Kevin S. Parker (D-Brooklyn) passed a bill out of the New York State Senate’s Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, which if passed, would help stimulate the sales of low-emission and energy efficient vehicles..

ALBANY, NY (02/08/2011) - Senator Greg Ball (R, C - Patterson) today sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, requesting that the Governor schedule a Public Hearing of the Savings and Government Efficiencies Commission before February 18. The letter reads: Governor Cuomo: I respectfully request that a Public Hearing of the Savings and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission be scheduled before February 18 so that we may immediately begin the work of finding opportunities to cut government operations by at least twenty percent. As you are aware, appointments to the SAGE Commission began the first week of January. Now, six weeks after the first appointments, the SAGE Commission has not yet scheduled its first meeting.