Have your voice heard!

Dear Members,

Recently, the New York State Senate has passed a bill in support of a Property Tax Cap.  This bill would have a devastating impact on public education.  As educators, we will be directly affected if this bill is made into law.  Please visit the website listed below to send an electronic fax to your local representative and let them know how devastating the proposed Property Tax Cap would be.

http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/contactelectedofficials_12921.htm

If you are uncertain of your local representative, you can check using the link below.

http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/contactelectedofficials_5055.htm     

Tax Cap Proposal - Analysis

 Below is some information about how a Property Tax Cap would impact public education.

What does this mean for education funding?

·         The state and local school districts share the cost of public education. The primary source of local revenue for education is the property tax.  

·         The state has not paid its full share of the cost of - adequate and reliable state aid - of educating children and providing necessary supports.

·         Without the state increasing state aid to education to make up the revenue lost due to a property tax cap, a cap would significantly reduce school districts’ spending without addressing the real causes of high property taxes. 

·         A tax cap does nothing to prevent public service costs beyond localities’ control from rising much faster than the cap (employee health insurance costs, special education costs, and the high gas cost of heating buildings and operating school buses).

·         A tax cap will not lower taxes or prevent them from going up, they will go up.

·         Tax caps, if enacted, would have cost New York schools $1.3 billion in funding over the past four years.  (2008 Statistic)

·         A cap already exists: When a school district budget is defeated, the district must adopt a contingency budget that is capped at 120 percent of CPI or 4 percent, whichever is lower. 

·         Studies have also found strong evidence that property tax caps lead to lower student test scores, higher dropout rates and a reduction in teacher preparedness.

Mike Libertucci