Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) expressed his extreme disappointment in the governor’s veto of bill A.2177, bipartisan legislation that Maher proudly co-sponsored, which would have removed emergency medical services (EMS) from the real property tax cap and provided desperately needed relief to local governments struggling to maintain reliable emergency response in their communities.

As the former Supervisor of the Town of Montgomery, one of Maher's legacy accomplishments was establishing an EMS district that created dedicated ALS services for the first time in the greater Montgomery community. Montgomery EMS was recently recognized as a top EMS service in Orange County, with response times drastically lower since a dedicated ambulance district was created.Assemblyman Maher knows firsthand that the creation of ambulance districts and/or direct aid from municipal budgets are life saving investments for local communities.

This bill sought to amend the General Municipal Law to exempt EMS from the tax levy limit, giving municipalities the flexibility to expand, stabilize or create dedicated EMS programs. Local leaders across the state have been pleading for this relief as EMS departments continue to face skyrocketing costs, low medicaid reimbursement rates, workforce shortages and increasing call volumes.

Maher said the governor’s veto represents a dangerous setback for public safety.

“Communities across New York are fighting just to keep their EMS services operational,” said Maher. “Costs are rising, staffing shortages are worsening and reimbursement rates haven’t kept pace with inflation. Local leaders are doing everything they can, but they’re boxed in by a tax cap that prevents them from funding even the most basic emergency services.

Maher emphasized that many municipalities in his district and across the state are already experiencing slower response times and, in some cases, the dissolution of long-standing volunteer services.

“Residents depend on EMS to show up in their moment of crisis. But in too many communities, response times of over 20 minutes or longer are putting health and safety at risk,” Maher continued. “Exempting EMS from the tax cap is about giving towns and villages the authority to build or strengthen their EMS programs before more people lose their lives. This veto ignores the urgency of what municipalities are facing on the ground.”

Maher noted the bill had strong bipartisan support and was crafted to address the severe financial strain facing EMS providers. He warned that local governments with tight budgets cannot expand or modernize emergency services without this relief, calling the bill “a lifeline” and vowing to keep fighting for meaningful EMS reform.