Senator Jack M. Martins (R-Mineola) is proud to announce that he has been appointed to chair the powerful Committee on Local Governments by New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R,C,I-Rockville Centre).
In addition to chairing the Local Governments Committee, Senator Martins was also named to the Labor, Civil Service and Pensions, and Corporate Authorities and Commissions Committees. These committee appointments were given to Senator Martins based on the needs of the 7th Senate District and his experience in local government. Martins served eight years as the Mayor of the Village of Mineola, where he exhibited a proven record of fiscal responsibility.
In Senator Jack M. Martins' latest legislative report, he talks about the tax cap imposed to ease the property tax burden on New Yorkers as well as legislation he is working on.
It’s been an historic week in Albany from the perspective that our state government is at last bringing tax relief to our residents. I was pleased to have voted along with my colleagues on a 2 percent tax cap to be imposed on local government. This will help to ensure that our residents will not be saddled with heavy tax increases that will drive them from their homes. The taxpayers have clearly spoken and we are listening.
The tax cap has been passed by the Senate and is supported by Governor Cuomo. We now need the Assembly to pass this legislation to begin the process of easing the tax burden on all New Yorkers.
Senator Jack M. Martins, chair of the Standing Committee on Local Government, and Senator John Flanagan, chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, will be co-sponsoring a hearing on mandate relief. “The True Path to Reducing New York’s Real Property Tax Burden: Mandate Relief and Tax Caps” will focus on the issues of Real Property Tax Reductions, Mandate Relief, and how the State of New York can accomplish both. The two Committees will be soliciting testimony on what policies and mechanisms can be used to accomplish these goals, as well as what impacts such policies and mechanisms will have upon taxpayers, local governments, school districts, labor, businesses and jobs.
Location
Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building
Due to the efforts of State Senator Jack M. Martins , the Democratic process can go forward on March 15 when residents of villages head to the polls to vote in village elections. The New York State Senate recently passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Martins that allows village governments to continue to use lever voting machines for elections until December 31, 2012.
As I complete my second month serving the people of the 7th Senate District, I am continuously reminded that these are interesting times in New York State. There are discussions going on in Albany about subjects that are now getting the serious attention they deserve. Mandate relief, for example, is something we need to discuss in the coming months, especially in light of the likelihood that a 2 percent tax cap will be implemented.
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