Cuomo to Cut Property Tax, No Income Tax Hike

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is promising to use a rare budget surplus to cut local property taxes during the coming election year, but he won’t touch temporary tax increases he’s extended twice.

“The property tax is a crusher, especially in the suburbs and upstate New York,” Cuomo told “Capitol Pressroom” this week. “We do have funds to do a tax cut, because we have exercised discipline in spending.”

Cuomo budget spokesman Morris Peters said Wednesday that if the state continues to hold spending at 2 percent or less as directed by Cuomo, growing revenue will address a $1.7 billion deficit that was projected for the 2014-15 budget due April 1 and pay for a state subsidy to reduce local property taxes.

But in Tuesday’s radio interview, Cuomo said he won’t end or ease billions of dollars in temporary income and business taxes despite his promises to end those taxes during his 2010 campaign. He doesn’t consider those tax increases because they were extended before they expired and because they include a rare but small tax break for middle class families.

A co-chairman of Cuomo’s tax cutting commission, former Republican Gov. George Pataki, has said he wants to recommend a cut in the personal income tax. But Cuomo said he didn’t want to deal with the personal income tax for the second time in two years.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the November 28th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.