Property Tax Cap Coalition FAQs

The coalition is a diverse group of individuals, businesses and associations who have come together to support Gov. David Paterson’s property tax cap proposal.

Why is a cap necessary?

New York’s local taxes are the highest in the nation, 79% above the national average. Property taxes are the largest part of that bill that we all pay. In this decade school property taxes have increased at twice the rate of inflation and much faster than personal income growth. This is an unsustainable situation.

Is the cap the answer to skyrocketing property taxes?

The cap is a vital first step to control New York’s property taxes. Without the fiscal discipline imposed by a cap other steps to lower costs simply won’t happen.

Has a cap worked anywhere else?

Yes. Massachusetts is a model. The Bay State implemented a cap in 1980. At the time their property tax burden was second only to New York’s, now they rank in the middle of the pack nationally. They shed the Taxachusetts label.

Won’t a cap hurt our schools?

No. Again Massachusetts is the model. In 2007, Massachusetts schoolchildren outscored every other state in the country on three of the four National Assessment of Educational Progress exams and tied for first on the fourth. New York by contrast ranged from 16th to 32nd.

The average SAT score for Massachusetts high school students was 29 points about the national average and 61 points above New York’s average, with essentially the same percent of students taking the tests.

Why should I join?

Although polls show the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support a property tax cap, powerful special interests in Albany have committed to killing the proposal. The only way a cap will become a reality is for New Yorkers to join together in this effort.