The petition
Dear Governor Paterson, Senator Skelos and Assemblyman Silver,
We the undersigned leaders of the Westchester business community, are deeply concerned about the property tax burden that has been imposed upon the people and the businesses of our state. Long time residents are being forced to sell their homes, businesses are going elsewhere, and the state's economy is in peril.
We have carefully studied the report of the NYS Property Tax Relief Commission and reviewed its recommendations.
We are convinced that a comprehensive approach is needed which would contain the following three basic elements, TO BE ENACTED SIMULTANEOUSLY THIS YEAR:
1) A tax levy cap to control the future growth of school taxes and provide a measure of taxation stability to all property owners;
2) A middle income circuit breaker to provide immediate relief to homeowners paying unsustainable percentages of their income in property tax on their home; and
3) Relief from unfunded state mandates along with other steps to reduce costs that are beyond the control of local school districts.
Simultaneous enactment of all three parts of this package solution will prevent an undesirable situation in which only one part might be enacted to the exclusion of the others.
Enactment this year is essential so as not to further delay desperately needed relief and the establishment of reasonable limits on the future growth of school property taxes.
We ask our state leadership to work urgently and cooperatively to enact and implement the three point program described above, which we consider essential to the future of our state.
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