Last updated on January 26, 2012

Don't Forget to REGISTER!!!

2012 Winter Legislative Meeting
February 26-27, 2012 :: Hotel Albany

(formerly the Albany Crowne Plaza soon to be Hilton)

Now that New York’s property tax cap is in place, it is more important than ever that NYCOM members continue to drive home the point that a tax cap does nothing to address state mandates, which are the true cause of New York’s high property taxes. This tax cap is doomed to fail unless we convince our state leaders and lawmakers that authentic mandate relief is an essential part of the equation to achieve meaningful and sustainable property tax relief. Please join us in Albany to deliver this all-important message.

Attendees :: click here to register online and for meeting information.

Sponsors, Exhibitors and Advertisers :: click here for expo registration and information.

NYCOM Testimony Before the Joint Fiscal Committees' Hearing on the 2012-13 Executive Budget :: January 24, 2012

NYCOM Executive Director Peter A. Baynes presented testimony to the Joint Fiscal Committees regarding the Executive Budget, calling for meaningful mandate relief and increased state aid as the keys to making the property tax cap work. [MORE]

Tax Cap Guidance

The Office of the State Comptroller has information on its website about the newly enacted Property Tax Cap. This information includes: the formula for determining the tax levy limit; an on-line tax limit reporting form and user guide; as well as a list of FAQs:

• Click here to view this and other important information on the Tax Cap.
• Click here to view the Tax Base Growth Factors for cities and villages.
• Click here to view tax cap guidance from the Department of Taxation and Finance and the Department of State.
• Click here to view a partial list of Frequently Asked Questions.

• Click here for a “Sample Local Law to Override the Tax Cap”.

As cities and villages struggle with funding the provision of essential municipal services under the new property tax cap, the need for significant mandate relief becomes more apparent with every passing day. NYCOM continues to advocate for legislative enactment of the types of mandate relief that will allow local governments to manage their costs in a way that truly benefits property taxpayers.

• To learn more about NYCOM’s mandate relief priorities, please review our report, “You Can’t Cap What You Can’t Control.”
  
• Click here to view the column, "Tax Caps Alone - No Matter How Many - Are Not the Answer," from NYCOM's Executive Director Peter Baynes in the September-October 2011 issue of the NYCOM Municipal Bulletin.

MUNICIPAL MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING

Municipal Bulletin :: Directory of City & Village Officials

The municipal officials you want to reach who make the purchasing decisions about municipal products and services read the Municipal Bulletin and use the essential information only published in NYCOM's Directory of City & Village Officials (and Cyber Pages – virtual Directory).

NYCOM is pleased to announce that our Municipal Marketplace contracts are now available online for your convenience. This one-stop-shop provides an opportunity for your company to reach this select audience of over 7,000 municipal officials. If you are looking to save some advertising dollars this year, look into the excellent discounts for BUNDLING your Directory advertising with the Municipal Bulletin. NEW ADVERTISERS – SAVE UP TO 20%.

View our 2012 online advertising/insertion order information and contracts. If you have any questions regarding advertising, please contact NYCOM's Publication's Editor Jennifer Purcell.

New Law Requires Certain Records Be Made Available to the Public Prior to Open Meetings

On January 3rd, Governor Cuomo signed into law an amendment to the State’s Open Meetings Law requiring local governments to make available to the public, prior to or at an open meeting, certain records which will be the subject of discussion at the meeting.

For additional information on this law, click here.  

For a copy of the new law, click here.

For the Committee on Open Government Guidance Document, click here.

Governor Signs Law Reducing MTA

Payroll Tax

On December 12, the Governor signed the Middle Class Tax Cut and Job Creation legislation (Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2011) that reduces the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) payroll tax on small businesses and municipalities in the MTA region (i.e., New York City and the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk). The tax will be eliminated for 289,000 entities that have an annual payroll between $10,000 and $1.25 million. All elementary and secondary schools, public or private, are also exempt from the payroll tax under the new law. Additionally, more than 6,000 entities with payrolls between $1.25 and $1.75 million will see their payroll tax cut by either one-third or two-thirds. The reduction will also benefit approximately 414,000 self-employed taxpayers. The new law has no impact on MTA funding as the state will compensate the MTA for all revenue lost by the tax cut.

The breakdown of the new payroll tax rates is as follows:

• .11 percent of payroll for employers with a payroll expense no greater than $375,000 per calendar quarter;

• .23 percent of payroll for employers with a payroll expenses between $375,001 and $437,500 per calendar quarter; and

• .34 percent of payroll for employers with a payroll expense in excess of $437,500 per calendar quarter.

These changes are effective for the quarter beginning April 1, 2012.

Land Bank Guidelines Released

Earlier this year, the State created the New York Land Bank Program (Chapter 257 of the Laws of 2011) by enacting Article 16 of the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. The new law limits the number of land banks that may be created to ten and conditions their creation upon the approval Empire State Development (ESD). ESD has promulgated guidelines which set forth the process and criteria it will use in approving the creation of the land banks. Up to five land banks will be created in the first application round. In accordance with the guidelines, applications must be submitted to ESD by 3:00 p.m. on March 30, 2012. A copy of the ESD’s land bank guidelines is available online by clicking here. Questions about land banks should be directed to NYCOM General Counsel Wade Beltramo at 518-463-1185.

A Common Agenda for the Common Good

NYCOM has been working with a coalition of groups united in the pursuit of significant mandate relief. We have made much progress in this regard, and are proud to announce Let New York Work: A Common Agenda for the Common Good. Our historic coalition of eleven prominent business, local government and educational organizations has launched a new, comprehensive initiative to advance significant mandate relief and is largely consistent with the recommendations included in NYCOM's, “You Can’t Cap What You Can’t Control.” For additional information on the coalition and our agenda, please click here.

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