May 22 is Assessment Grievance Day
The state Department of Taxation and Finance has announced that most New Yorkers can challenge their property assessments through May 22, which is known as Assessment Grievance Day. Taxpayers can check...
View ArticleMandate Relief: A Panel Discussion
On April 26th the Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester Chapter of the League of Women Voters hosted a panel discussion on unfunded state mandates and mandate relief in New York State. Panel members...
View ArticleUpstaters: Say Yes to Audit, No to Toll Hikes
We in Upstate need to make more noise about the Thruway Authority’s proposal to hike truck tolls by 45 percent, because frankly, it’s going to hurt. For starters, it’s going to raise the cost of doing...
View ArticleReport on County and Local Government Payrolls Released
Last week, the Empire Center for NYS Policy released the 2011-12 edition of What They Make, their annual report on public payrolls. The report is intended to enable taxpayers to compare this key...
View ArticleComptroller Reports on Executive Budget Proposal
Last Wednesday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released his report on the 2013-14 Executive Budget. It notes several concerns with the proposal including an increase in the state’s debt burden by...
View ArticlePublic Campaign Financing Proposal
On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo released the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013 (Governor’s Program Bill #12), which would put in place a publicly-financed campaign finance program. Eligible campaign donations...
View ArticleUnions, Bankruptcy, and Free Health Care
It is a delicate balance for governments to honor the past while still continuing to move the communities forward and provide services to current taxpayers. That is a paradigm that is being felt...
View ArticleState to Suspend Drivers’ Licenses of Tax Delinquents
Last week, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state will begin suspending the drivers’ licenses of people who owe more than $10,000 in back taxes to the state. State Tax Department officials estimate the...
View ArticleUnshackle Upstate Releases Report Opposing Taxpayer-Funded Political Campaigns
Earlier today, Unshackle Upstate released “Money For Nothing – Why Taxpayer-Funded Political Campaigns are Wrong for New York State.” The report finds significant flaws with the program that advocates...
View ArticleCampaign Finance Reform- Not A Good Deal For The Taxpayer Despite The Rhetoric
While New Yorkers are paying some of the highest state and local tax burdens in the country, Albany is attempting to push another unfunded liability onto taxpayers disguised as “campaign finance...
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