Mandates, unfunded mandates are killing local economies across this state. We need to focus on ALL of these mandates coming down from Albany. We are forced to do this and do that and the burden is put on us here locally and it’s high time this ended. Seems that the problem is in the Assembly, the Democrat controlled Assembly and dictator Silver are against any kind of legislation that will ease the tax burden from the people of New York, as long as they continue to get their campaign money and everything else from the unions and trial lawyers things will not change.

Senate GOP seeks tax cap, mandate relief

ALBANY - When state senators return to the Capitol this week to approve a school-property-tax cap, they will also adopt a series of mandate-relief measures aimed at appeasing school districts and moving closer to a compromise with the reluctant Assembly.

Senate Republicans, who hold the majority, say that passing a tax cap would be fruitless without giving schools relief from state mandates that are overburdening their budgets.

Leaders plan to call for a prohibition on any new school mandates and give districts flexibility to implement new ones imposed by the state Education Department.

Republicans also are looking at possibly capping schools’ expenses for such items as pension costs, similar to the cap established in 2005 that helps counties with rising Medicaid costs. For instance, schools would pay a portion of the growth in retirement costs, while the state would pick up the rest.

“If you’re going to do a tax cap, and our conference is committed to doing it, we also understand that there are a ton of mandates that need to be addressed,” said Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton.

Moreover, Senate Republicans plan to pass a measure that would affirm the state’s commitment to funding schools, seeking to alleviate concerns that a tax cap would lead to lesser aid for districts. The tax cap would limit growth in school taxes to 4 percent a year.

Republican senators are expected to meet behind closed doors Thursday and then approve a tax-relief package during a one-day session Friday.

“We have to somehow or another in this atmosphere make it clear that we are still committed, even though we are putting in the cap, to robust funding for education,” said state Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, Monroe County.

Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, said on an Albany radio show Friday that the cap can be “done without hurting education.”

“None of us want to diminish the quality of education in the state,” he said. more—>