State Budget Update from Senator Carlucci

For the fourth year in a row we have delivered an on time budget while keeping state spending under 2%, reversing the old trend of stalemate and ineffective government in Albany. 

This budget includes $1.5 billion in property tax relief, $1.1 billion in education aid as well assignature changes to fix Common Core and the implementation of InspireNY, a program to help people with developmental disabilities earn a paycheck.

Real Property Tax Relief      

$1.5 billion of the State Budget will go towards a new Property Tax Credit to provide relief to Rockland and Westchester homeowners by freezing property taxes at current levels.

By working with localities to find ways to consolidate while freezing property taxes we will finally tackle out of control property taxes while giving homeowners a break.  

Education continues to be one of my top priorities in Albany. The Budget includes a $1.1 billion increase in education aid for the 2014-15 school year. In our schools in Rockland and Westchester  we will see over a 10% increase in state education aid.

The Budget enacts several recommendations made by educators, parents and advocates toimmediately improve the implementation of Common Core in New York State. The budget bans standardized tests for young children while protecting students from high stakes testing based on unfair results. It also ensures instructional time is used for teaching and learning and not over-testing.

This budget also creates new standards to safeguard our children’s important information by first firing inBloom and creating new standards to safeguard our children's important information. The budget also creates a chief privacy officer to be appointed by the commissioner for a 3 year term as well as a parents bill of rights to understand how the State Education Department uses our children’s data. 

Expansion of the EPIC Program             

We were able to greatly expand the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program to thousands of Seniors who before were ineligible for low cost prescription drugs. By adding $4.1 million dollars to the budget, the Department of Health will now increase income eligibility for the EPIC program from $35,000 to $75,000 for a single senior and from $50,000 to $100,000 for a couple. 

This increase will help tens of thousands of seniors.

Attracting Manufacturing to Rockland and Westchester                                        

With the recent loss of several large manufacturing companies in the Hudson Valley we need to make sure our communities have every advantage when attracting new businesses. That’s why working with my colleagues we made sure to have tax cuts for manufacturers applied to companies in Rockland and Westchester.

Creation of InspireNY                                                

Working together, we have delivered on a major victory for  developmentally disabled New Yorkers.

The passage of InspireNY will incentivize businesses to hire people with developmental disabilities, helping thousands of New Yorkers not only embrace a sense of belonging in the community, but inspire them to reach their full potential. By working together with the private sector, we will ensure that all New Yorkers have a chance to earn a solid day’s pay and live the quality of life they rightfully deserve.

Businesses will receive up to a $5,000 tax credit for hiring each full-time employee and up to $2,500 for hiring each part-time employee.

Rockland Bergen Flood Mitigation Task Force

Residents who suffer from chronic flooding to their homes will finally receive real results.Flood waters are blind to political and state boundaries which is why my colleagues and I made sure to provide funding for the Rockland Bergen Flood Mitigation Task Force in the State Budget.

This task force, with critical funding to back it up, will work to protect flood prone homeowners on the border of New York and New Jersey.

Critical Funding to Towns and Villages   

This winter has been one of the snowiest in State history and has stretched local village and town budgets to the breaking point. Working proactively with towns and Villages throughout Rockland and Westchester County we identified the problem and worked to find a meaningful solution.

Working with my colleagues in Albany, the state budget now includes $40 million of funding for towns and villages struggling to offset major costs incurred from one of the harshest winters on record. 

For all the latest news and updates, please continue to follow me on Facebook and Twitter