News from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Assembly Office:
933 Legislative Office Building • Albany, NY 12248 • (518) 455-3751
District Offices:
607 West Washington Street • Suite 2 • Geneva, NY 14456 • (315) 781-2030
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For Release: IMMEDIATELY, January 14, 2015
Contact: Michael Fraser, (518) 455-3751
Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb Statement On Governor Cuomo's Tax-Cut Proposal
'The Financial Burdens Facing Homeowners Will Only Be Reduced When We Address The Problem Where It Starts.'

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C-Canandaigua) today issued the following statement on Governor Cuomo's "circuit breaker" tax-cut proposal.

"The Governor's proposal doesn't go far enough, doesn't address the issue at its core, and doesn't provide meaningful property-tax relief to all New Yorkers. The true driver of New York's out-of-control property taxes is unfunded mandates. Unfortunately, no serious effort has been made to deal with the issue.

The formula for high property taxes is simple: New York State forces costs on localities through unfunded mandates. Localities are forced to pass those costs onto homeowners and businesses through property taxes. The financial burdens facing homeowners will only be reduced when we address the problem where it starts.

Efforts to reduce taxes are laudable, but gimmicks like the Governor's proposal will not solve the problem. I have repeatedly called for an end to any new unfunded mandates and will continue to push for programs that reduce costs on local governments and alleviate fiscal pressures on property owners."