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Putnam Valley Supervisor Davis Finds Strong Support for State Tax Reform and Education Funding Reform
by Edward Paul Greiff
A little over a year ago a group of new town supervisors got together in Albany to form the "Coalition for Education Funding Reform." Putnam Valley Supervisor Sam Davis was one of those lobbyists. On February 28, 2007 he and eleven other coalition members converged on Albany for appointments with key legislators whom they expected would spearhead the reform movement.
The Coalition Group met with State Senator John J. Bonacic, Assemblyman Kevin A. Cahill, key representatives of Senator Bruno, Senator LaValle, Assemblywoman Galef, and Senator Trunzo.
Supervisor Davis said that the message given to the legislative body was, "The Coalition is supporting sweeping education funding reform. The present system of funding education through property taxes is destructive to communities and families who are burdened with regressive, confiscatory school taxes. The present system of taxation mitigates against school stability in budgeting, works against diversity, and causes conflicts about funding among different groups. It calls into question assessment methods and leads to inequality in taxation. It shortchanges education . . . and it is wasteful. We are in a crisis and the coalition is looking for action now."
The Coalition made it clear about their unanimous objection to any form of STAR or Enhanced STAR. They asked the legislators not to consider STAR rebates in any form or amount as a solution because they have been proven to be counter productive; a band aid.
They asked that the Senate and Assembly work together to reconcile bills presently in both houses that would mandate a state takeover of education funding to be paid for from general revenue just like any other essential service.
The Coalition rejected any funding that could lead to the taking of people's homes to pay school taxes. This is occurring because school property taxes have risen 42% to 60% in the last five years independent of income or ability to pay.
Supervisor Davis said, "All segments of the community - renters, homeowners, city and suburb, and rural dwellers - would benefit from the ideas in the bills we are supporting. They are A4746 Cahill, and S2070 LaValle."
At present four New York Tax reform bills have been introduced; A8069 Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, S02070 Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, A03005 Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, and S01052 Senator Betty Little.
Cahill's bill calls for the state to assume all the costs of Basic Quality Education (BASIC) including all general and special education services. The BASIC costs shall be borne by increases in statewide business and individual income taxes in conjunction with the elimination of school district real estate taxes. Under the Cahill plan, local Board of Educations would submit their budgets to the State Education Department for approval.
The Cahill bill states its justification by claiming, "This plan will end the financial dependency of public schools on the regressive and unfair real property tax; a tax which bears little relationship to one's ability to pay; a tax which penalizes the elderly, the retired, the unemployed, the widowed and the person who chooses to invest in his/her own home.
"This plan will ensure equitable education for all children of the state regardless of wealth within a school district because the BASIC budget will provide for whatever general services are necessary to ensure a quality education, and all special services required by needy districts.
"Present levels of local control will be retained because BASIC budget will be prepared by local school boards with state approval required only for the BASIC budget."
Supervisor Davis said in his report that every meeting produced complete agreement on the crisis in education funding, on the wasteful and useless STAR rebate system in any form, on the need to have sweeping education funding reform . . . not a band-aid. Mr. Davis went on to say, "We assured every legislator we were non-partisan and would not hesitate to support any candidate from any party who worked for reform. We also would not hesitate to reject any candidate from any party who said "No" to reform or suggested reform could wait for some time in the future. Our members want commitment to extensive reform in this legislative session."
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