To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
Overturn NYS's Property Tax Cap
In recognition of the serious and substantial harm caused to public education, municipal governments, and fundamental democratic rights via NYS's property tax cap, the undersigned call upon the NYS Legislature and Governor to immediately overturn the cap, and restore to citizens the right of self-determination with regard to their own taxation.
Why is this important?
NYS's inflexible 2% property tax cap has deprived public education and municipal governments of critical resources via the elimination of basic democratic rights - an annual vote of the citizenry - in favor of a cap imposed by the state legislature. Adding insult to injury, NYS has (for several years) provided insufficient and diminishing aid, while demanding more and imposing penalties. The inability of school districts, in particular, to determine their own level of taxation, results in a more limited education, less opportunity for those who need it most, greater educational inequality, and a loss of democratic rights.