New York State Assembly

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) today criticized the Assembly Majority for voting down a pair of bills that would provide local governments across the state with greater financial flexibility, enhance their ability to provide quality services to communities and drive down property taxes. Assembly Majority members on the Local Governments Committee voted against two bills (A.6546, Kolb and A.6343, Oaks) that proposed sweeping reforms to eliminate unfunded mandates on municipalities and school districts.

An unfunded mandate is a policy or regulation that requires a local government to perform certain actions without providing funding to fulfill the requirement. As unfunded mandates rise, expenses increase for localities. As a result, those localities are forced to increase property taxes on homeowners. The New York State Association of Counties estimates that nine state mandates make up 90 percent of the county property tax levy statewide. Since 2001, the Assembly has passed 140 unfunded mandates with a total cost of $93.7 billion.

"New York has the highest property taxes in the nation, yet the Assembly Majority continues to ignore legislation that can directly and immediately provide relief to hard working New Yorkers," Leader Kolb said. "Local governments have to scratch and claw for every dollar to provide basic services, due in large part to the ever-growing list of Albany mandates they're forced to pay for. Local economies in every community will continue to struggle until someone exhibits the courage to end this practice.

It's more of the same disturbing pattern. From welfare reform, to cutting taxes, to anti-corruption, to mixed martial arts, and now to mandate relief - the Assembly Majority Conference is where common-sense ideas go to die."

The "Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act" (A.6546, Kolb) calls for sweeping reforms to prohibit any new unfunded mandates; freezes county Medicaid costs at their current level; allows counties to opt out of optional Medicaid services; caps state spending; and gives localities the ability to opt out of the Scaffold Law.

Legislation (A.6343) sponsored by Assemblyman Robert C. Oaks (R,C-Macedon) places a three-year moratorium on unfunded mandates on any local government or school district; requires detailed fiscal impact notes on bills affecting local governments and school districts; and requires the Mandate Relief Council to determine which existing mandates should be eliminated.

Assemblyman Oaks said, "New York State won't experience a true economic turnaround until we relieve the fiscal burdens on local communities. The Assembly Minority Conference has developed effective mandate-relief legislation that assists local governments by curtailing the forced expenditures generated by state mandates. Today's committee vote is disappointing and a disservice to property owners who remain saddled with onerous taxes and local governments that continue to face uphill challenges to fund the basic services residents need."

Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen M. Jimino said, "Local taxes in New York State are the highest in the nation driven in large part by the actions or in this case inaction of our State Government in Albany. The cost burden of the these state mandates shifted to Counties ultimately fall onto the backs of our local taxpayers forced to bear the brunt of Albany's appetite for increased spending and reluctance to right size services and programs based on what the State budget can afford. I want to commend Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb for his attempts to provide mandate relief so that we in turn can provide the much needed tax relief to our homeowners and businesses."

Brian Sampson, Executive Director of Unshackle Upstate, said, "Leader Kolb and the Minority Conference know all too well that the crisis for our schools and local governments is not off in the near future but is here today. We can no longer ignore the laws and regulations that drive local spending. This is not a time to put political feel good band-aids on gaping wounds. We need real action as proposed by this bill. We thank Leader Kolb and his members for taking action. It is long past due for the Assembly Majority to provide local governments, and the taxpayers of this state, with real, significant mandate relief. No more gimmicks. No more delays. It needs to happen today."

Mike Durant, NY Director of NFIB, said, "Simply, the flat out rejection of such needed and necessary legislation is appalling. Our taxpayers, schools and municipalities need to see significant relief from the structural ills that have cemented New York as the tax capital of the nation. We applaud Leader Kolb and his conference for showing leadership on this issue. The Assembly Majority needs to understand the fiscal peril our communities face and we remind the Speaker that the status quo is unsustainable."

"I applaud the leadership of Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb as he continues to put taxpayers first throughout our community and across the State," said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. "Mandates account for 83% of the Monroe County budget and 100% of the problem in New York State, making the Assembly majority's unwillingness to provide mandate relief a major affront to all local taxpayers. I encourage Assemblyman Kolb and our local delegation to continue fighting for real mandate reform in Albany to better protect taxpayers for years to come."