Cuomo heads back to Long Island to push for a property tax cap

The governor said he won’t sign a budget bill without the cap

From left: Suffolk and Nassau executives Steve Bellone and Laura Curran with Governor Andrew Cuomo (Credit: Getty Images)
From left: Suffolk and Nassau executives Steve Bellone and Laura Curran with Governor Andrew Cuomo (Credit: Getty Images)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo headed to Long Island to once more make his case for a permanent cap on property taxes.

The governor spoke to state lawmakers in New Hyde Park, accompanied by state and local lawmakers including Nassau and Suffolk executives Laura Curran and Steve Bellone, State Sen. Anna Kaplan and Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen. It’s the third time in two weeks the governor has visited Long Island for the cause, Newsday reported.

“This hand will never sign a budget that doesn’t have a permanent property tax cap,” he said.

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Nassau, Rockland and Westchester counties have the highest property taxes in the state. Westchester homeowners paid on average $17,179 in 2017, while Rockland residents paid $12,924 and Nassau paid $11,415, the report said, citing figures from Attom Data Solutions.

The tax cap provision — limiting the annual percentage increase in taxes a local government or school district can levy to about 2 percent — is slated to expire next year. The State Senate has passed a permanent cap 52-8. The measure now goes to the State Assembly.

Curran said Long Islanders have saved more than $8 billion in taxes since the cap was first enacted in 2012. The Cuomo administration has said that, statewide, New Yorkers have saved more than $24 billion. [Newsday] — Meenal Vamburkar