Ceretto urges passage of mandate relief bill

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-I-Lewiston, is urging the leadership in the State Legislature to take up and pass new comprehensive mandate relief legislation designed to reduce the costs on local governments and school districts and help lower sky-high property taxes.

Ceretto noted that the measure, Assembly bill 8447, would lower mandatory costs on local governments and schools districts by implementing a spending growth cap, requiring larger public employee contributions for health insurance, limiting unfunded mandates, reforming labor laws relating to public works projects, repealing the Wicks law, and reducing reporting requirements under New York state's education law.

"With a property tax cap on the verge of passing the Assembly, lawmakers must begin serious talks about implementing policies, which can lower costs for local governments and school districts and help rein in local property taxes," said Ceretto. "Unfunded state mandates are a severe drain on our local resources and allow Albany to continue its reckless spending by passing on its costs to our local taxpayers."

"As a former town and county official, I witnessed firsthand the impact unfunded mandates can have on local municipalities. This cost shift gobbles up a significant portion of Western New York's local resources and makes it difficult for municipalities and school districts to provide services to the community," said Ceretto. "This needs to change if we are going to provide lasting tax relief to Western New York families and ensure that local governments have the resources to meet the public's needs."

 Click to download Assembly bill 8447'S list of unfunded mandate reforms