Thiele: State Approves Efficiency Plans Submitted by Local Schools, Governments

Local Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. recently reported that the State of New York has approved 2,000 efficiency plans submitted by schools and local governments across the state, including on the East End, to ensure homeowners receive a property tax rebate check.

New York State is in the second year of a three-year, $1.5 billion program to provide rebate checks to homeowners for their growth in property taxes if their local governments stay under the state’s property tax cap and develop efficiency plans.

The efficiency plans were due in June to the State Budget Division and were required to be approved by the Budget Director by July 31, 2015, but the process had been delayed as the state reviewed the plans-a move which has also delayed the checks going out.

This year, the checks will be the largest during the three-year program: There will be a refund for the increase in
property taxes levied by both schools and municipal governments.

The State Budget Division estimates that the efficiency plans approved would save taxpayers $2.4 billion over three years by having local governments and schools share more services.

The entities were required to show that they would save at least 1 percent each year on the tax levy-the amount of taxes collected each year.

The savings initiatives in their plans more than doubled the savings target of at least 1 percent of the levy of the
participating school districts or local governments.

The plans included savings related to real estate and fleet management, business and financial services and backroom operations.

The State assisted more than 800 entities in ensuring that their plans are compliant, but the State didn’t immediately release the number of plans that weren’t approved.

Last year, 2.8 million checks went out to homeowners whose school districts stayed under the cap, which limits the growth in tax levies to less than 2 percent a year.

Suffolk County, as well as several school districts and local governments in the Southampton area received approved plans including:

• Southampton Town
• North Haven Village
• Sag Harbor Village
• Southampton Village
• Bridgehampton School District
• Sagaponack School District
• Sag Harbor School District
• Southampton School District
• Tuckahoe School District
• Rogers Memorial Library