Dear Taxpayer,
This year, working with Governor Cuomo, we were able to enact a long-overdue property tax cap that caps property taxes at 2 percent annually. This is a great first step, but as I have said all along, capping property taxes can only work when combined with comprehensive mandate relief for local governments.
Medicaid is the largest unfunded mandate imposed on local governments by the State. This has resulted in Western New Yorkers paying the highest local taxes in the nation. We must address this unsustainable burden and implement responsible and realistic reforms to relieve local governments and taxpayers.
Only New York and California require their counties to pay into Medicaid, it’s time for that to change. That’s why I authored a bipartisan piece of legislation that will phase out county Medicaid payments and return that responsibility to the state.
Removing Medicaid from local government budgets will enable counties to finally reduce your local taxes, and subject the entire cost of New York’s Medicaid program to the recently enacted Medicaid spending cap – controlling Medicaid’s future growth. As County budgets continue to be squeezed by the tax cap, this legislation will reduce the Medicaid burden, so that essential services for communities, seniors, our youth and returning Veterans do not have to be put in jeopardy.
Unfunded mandates like Medicaid are unreasonable and unfair to local taxpayers. A coalition of over 100 state and local elected officials, Democrats and Republicans, from every region of New York have signified their strong support for this initiative. As I continue to travel around the State advocating for the taxpayers of Western New York and soliciting additional support for this legislation, you too can help.
Please click here to sign my online petition of support for this much needed reform. [7]
With best wishes and kind regards,
Patrick M. Gallivan
Senator – 59th District
