The New York State Conference of Mayors is calling for significant reforms before Governor Elect Andrew Cuomo imposes the property tax cap he promised during his election campaign.
The Conference of Mayors issued a report entitled "You Can't Cap What You Can't Control." The report points out that Cuomo's proposed tax cap could limit the ability of cities to pay for government services. Its recommendations would come down hard on public employees whose salaries and benefits comprise the most cost of government operations.
Among other things, the State Conference of Mayors wants legislative permission to:
Freeze public sector wages
Have government workers contribute to their health care
Restructure the pension system
Reform arbitration provisions of the taylor law, and
Limit disability benefits for police and firefighters
During his campaign for Governor Cuomo said he would propose a plan to hold the annual rate of local property tax growth to 2 percent or 120 percent of the inflation rate, whichever is lower. The Governor-elect has not yet reacted to the Conference of Mayors report.
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner was on the task force which wrote the report. She told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon Tuesday, "We have run out of money, the State has run out of money. We can no longer afford a system where public employees get automatic 3, 4 and 5 percent raises or have retiree health care systems. There's no money left."
Speaking for the local chapter of the CSEA, Mark Kotzin said, "The place to discuss such things as wage freezes and concessions is at the bargaining table."
