Assembly Democrats say there should be more money for schools and the environment, and major changes to Governor Cuomo’s plan to freeze property taxes. It’s all part of a one house budget resolution, the first step in reaching agreement on a final spending plan by the end of March.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says Democrats have rejected Governor Cuomo’s plan to freeze property taxes that would involve giving rebate checks to voters shortly before Election Day. Instead, he says, they in favor a so-called circuit breakers that would provide proportionately more relief to New Yorkers who can least afford to pay their tax bills.
“We believe that it provides relief to the people who most need it throughout the state,” said Silver. “So it’s fair regionally.”
Cuomo’s plan would result in homeowners in the New York City suburbs getting a larger rebate check than many upstate communities, because property values, and property taxes are higher there. The governor’s proposal also includes a circuit breaker, but not until the third year of the plan.
Silver says Cuomo’s proposal, which relies on the cooperation of local governments and schools to keep spending under 2% in the first year, and to consolidate services in the second year, might not give a tax break to everyone. The Speaker says the Assembly Democrats’ plan reduces the “uncertainty”.
The Assembly accepts some of the Governor’s business tax cuts, and would allow the threshold for the estate tax to be raised from $1 million to over $5 million dollars, though Democrats do not back lowering the top tax rate on estates from 16% down to 10%.
Senate Republicans, who have been long time advocates of lowering property taxes, also think that the governor’s plan needs to be revised. The GOP and their co-rulers, the Independent Democratic Conference, are still working out details of their budget resolution. Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos says there will be changes.
“There will be a number of modifications,” Skelos said.
The Assembly budget also increases funding for schools by an additional $402 million dollars.
Education advocates, who held a brief demonstration outside Governor Cuomo’s offices, say that amount is still not enough for the state’s poorest schools, who are struggling.
“It will slow down the bleeding but it won’t stop it,” said Emily Karol, with the Alliance for Quality Education.
The protesters attempted to deliver petitions to Governor Cuomo asking for more state aide, but were told the governor was busy. This irritated the demonstrators, who pointed out that Cuomo had found the time on March 4th to speak at an outdoor rally for charter schools.
“For the 97% of children represented here today, he won’t even come out of his office to accept petitions,” said organizer Zakiyah Ansari, while the children and adults chanted “shame”.
The Assembly also includes funding for universal pre kindergarten programs, and adopts New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio’s plan to tax the wealthy to pay for the plan in New York City.
The tax increase is opposed by Governor Cuomo and Senate Republicans. GOP Leader Skelos says the proposal is not going anywhere.
“That was dead about two months ago,” Skelos said.
The Assembly one house budget also increases the environmental protection fund by $10 million dollars, bringing the total up to $167 million, and offers a more expansive plan to permit medical marijuana in New York.