Galef Supported Second Year of an On-Time Budget and Extraordinary Benefits to Local Taxpayers

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, a long term advocate for on-time state budgets, is thrilled that the state budget was again voted on before April 1st and is on time for the second year in a row after twenty years of late budgets. The taxpayers of New York will benefit with all the financial assistance coming to school districts, municipalities, families, property owners, and consumers.

"The joint conference committee process worked well and assisted in making the budget negotiations more transparent," commented Galef. "Hopefully the concept of three men in a room, the Governor, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Assembly Speaker, is gone forever in New York's budget negotiations. This member driven process works and produces timely budgets and consensus building. The 2006-07 state budget is a win for the taxpayers and for the government process."

The schools in the 90th A.D. will receive additional school aid totaling $21,550,831, which is $15,930,289 over the Governor's proposed budget. This new aid will help school districts to lower school taxes. Putnam County School districts were eligible for high tax aid. An eligible county is one in which the tax effort ratio exceeds .04000 (or four percent).

Municipalities in the 90th A.D. will receive an additional $3,541,216 in state aid.

The new $50 million multi-Model Program will bring new money to municipalities for local road improvements.

Families will receive an Empire State Child Tax Credit for children 4 to 17 years old, a maximum benefit of $330 per child. The marriage penalty tax payments will be reduced. The legislature rejected the Governor's proposal for a $500 tuition increase at SUNY and CUNY and the proposal to cut the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

The School Property Tax Program (STAR) will be enhanced to include a property tax rebate check for 30% of the savings that eligible homeowners received from the Basic Enhanced STAR benefit. The rebate will be a check sent to homeowners and condo and coop owners no later than October 31 of the following school year. There will also be a COLA increase of 13% for Enhanced STAR to lower school property taxes for qualifying senior citizens.

Consumers will be helped by the eliminations of the 4% state sales tax on clothing and footwear under $110 which went into effect on April 1, 2006. The $1 monthly charge on E-Z Pass has been eliminated. A $5.7 million increase for libraries in the state in addition to a $14 million increase in library construction funding will have a positive impact on our local libraries and library systems.

"This state budget will produce real savings to the taxpayers and help the economy and competitions of our state," concluded Galef.