News Briefs

Opposition to property tax cap emerges from upstate ed officials

Jan 31, 2008 5:37 PM

While a recent Siena College poll of 625 New York State registered voters found almost 3-to-1 support statewide for a property tax cap, school officials are leery.

“We all want to cap property taxes,” Schenectady Board of Education President Jeff Janiszewski said. “They’re too high in Schenectady and too high in New York in general. ... [But] it’s an issue that’s more complex than simply putting a cap on and saying ‘now what?’ ”

His board was able to cap property taxes last year in part through a jump in state aid. Schenectady schools received $15 million in Contracts for Excellence money, enabling the district to hire more teachers to bring down class size and to offer after-school programs.

“We couldn’t possibly continue those things and fund that growing enrollment with no additional property taxes,” he said.

He also blamed rising health, energy and pension costs, as did Scotia-Glenville Board of Education President Margaret Smith, who said a property tax cap could have devastating effects on local school districts.

If a property tax cap did go into effect, Smith said, they would have to look at cutting staffing and programming.

Greater Amsterdam Board of Education President Jim Walrath said schools should not be funded by property taxes at all, but by an income tax or other fees. He sees unfunded mandates with special education and No Child Left Behind mandates as the biggest problems.

Schenectady Daily Gazette, Jan. 22