Last Wednesday, the state’s largest teachers union filed a lawsuit to overturn the state’s property tax, arguing that it perpetuates inequities between wealthy and poor school districts.
Under the state’s property tax cap, which was enacted in 2011 and took effect in 2012, last year, school districts and local governments may raise property taxes each year by up to 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. School districts can override the cap if 60 percent of voters approve.
The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Albany, argues that by limiting the amount of money school districts can raise, the tax cap violates the state’s constitutional obligation to provide a “sound basic education” to all students. The union is seeking to overturn the cap as it applies to school districts, not local governments.
It is very disappointing that NYSUT has chosen to go down this road and attack the property tax cap. New York State continues to have some of the nation’s highest property taxes, and the tax cap was the first step toward addressing this crisis.
In the tax cap’s first year, 95 percent of school districts passed budgets that stayed within the cap – saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Rather than undermining the property tax cap, NYSUT and its members should be working with school districts and families to ensure that our children receive a world class education that is affordable.
There are 2 Comments to "Teachers’ Union Challenges Property Tax Cap"
It appears that all the Indians want to be selfish “Chiefs”. Since when does the employee set the terms of the employment agreement.
The tax cap lawsuit by NYSUT is consistent with president Iannuzzi’s attempt to take all steps possible to recind or block any legislative attempt to address the taxpayer-gouging , economy-killing pension and health care handouts. The current tax cap lawsuit dovetails nicely with NYSUT’s other effort to deny public access to the un-affordable, out of control pension payouts . Both the tax cap lawsuit and blocked access to tax-payer funded NYSUT pension payouts clearly show the intent by NYSUT leadership to: 1) hide from the public the exhorbitant pension payouts and 2) block any attempt to provide school budget visibility and control over taxpayer funding obligations for NYSUT member pension and healthcare benefits.
Perhaps it’s time to ask the NYSUT leadership how the ever-increasing, excessive, taxpayer funded pension and healthcare benefits are contributing to “sound basic education” for our kids.
In my view, it’s long over due for our Legislators to shift much more responsibility for funding pension, healthcare other benefit costs to BOTH active and retired NYSUT beneficiaries. …….especially for any TRS, UUP, PEF, CSEA Tier 1, Tier 2 or 3 employees or retirees either currently earning in excess of $50K or collecting a NY funded pension in excess of $50k. Taxpayers at large should NOT be held responsible for the current and future pension payout excesses and “low or no” contributions by the NYSUT beneficiaries.
C. Michael Mercincavage