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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Authorizes school districts to increase school budgets by up to two percent without a supermajority vote
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Michelle Schimel
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing school districts to increase school budgets by up to two percent without a supermajority vote
Purpose
The bill would enable school districts to increase their budget over the tax levy limit without a supermajority vote as long as the increase does not exceed 2 percent.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 6 of section 2023-a of the education law, requires a school district budget that exceeds the tax levy limit by more than two percent to be approved by sixty percent of the votes cast in the affirmative.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
Justification
Chapter 97 of the laws of 2011 imposed a tax levy limit on school district tax levies. Although many refer to this law as a 2 percent tax cap this is not an accurate depiction of the law. Under the tax levy limit, the amount of taxes that may be levied by or on behalf of a school district cannot increase by more than 2 percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. As a result of low inflation in recent months, the allowable levy growth factor for the school year 2014-2015 was 1.46 percent, which is significantly lower than 2 percent. In terms of revenue, the difference between a tax levy limit of 1.46 percent and 2 percent is hundreds of thousands of dollars, which can be used to prevent staff cuts, the elimination of extracurricular activities and other important educational programs. Under the current law, a school district that proposes a budget with a tax levy increase of 1.55 percent and has a tax levy limit of 1.46 percent must override the cap by 60 percent of the vote. This legislation would change existing law so that a school district's budget would only be subject to an override if the tax levy exceeds the tax levy limit by more than two percent.
Legislative history
2014: A.9857
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.