"By promoting financial and ethical responsibility for all elected officials and committing to meaningful change, Citizens Budget Commission has enriched our democratic society and the quality of life for all citizens." State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
This letter from CBC President Carol Kellermann urges Governor David Paterson to veto S8077/A 10035A, a bill to expand paid leave for public employees for prostate and breast cancer screenings.
This op-ed states that New Yorkers already pay the highest local taxes in the nation by a long shot, and the State is about to make the problem worse. The Legislature recently passed a bill -- A9393A/S6457A -- that would prevent local officials from achieving savings in the skyrocketing cost of providing health insurance for government retirees and their dependents by prohibiting any reduction in benefits. This would further tie the hands of local officials in dealing with locally funded obligations.
CBC asks Governor Paterson to veto A9393A/S6457 when it reaches his desk. The bill would further tie the hands of local government managers in collective bargaining by prohibiting the diminution of retiree health insurance benefits. Although the prohibition is for one year only, the practice has been to renew these items annually after they have secured initial passage.
CBC comments on legislation under consideration by the New York State Legislature that would impose unfunded mandates on local governments by restricting their flexibility to address the growing liability of retiree health insurance.
CBC releases its recommendations for legislative changes to the Executive Budget presented by Governor Eliot Spitzer. The five changes in this statement would make the budget better suited to the current, uncertain economic times, more effective in using precious tax resources to support essential public services, and more supportive of lowered local tax burdens.
CBC presents areas of concern in reducing the local tax burden in New York State. These issues are: New York’s tax burden is high and inequitable; State policies result in high local tax burdens; and State leaders have tried to address the local tax burden. In response to these issues, CBC offers options for local tax relief.
This testimony addresses issues surrounding taxes on New York residents, who bear the second highest state and local tax burden in the nation. Over the past decade, state policy successfully lowered the state tax burden and brought state taxes in line with national averages; however, the same is not true for local taxes.
