What's happening
This bill extends state aid payments to the town of Ashford, Cattaraugus County, for state-acquired lands, ensuring compensation based on prior tax assessments.
Why it matters
Ensures the Town of Ashford continues to receive financial support from the state. after state acquisition of previously taxable lands, preventing a sudden loss of local revenue that could impact public services.
Compensates Ashford based on historical tax assessments. the state must pay an amount equivalent to what would have been collected in property taxes, with a guarantee that payments will not drop below the 1980 assessment level, providing stable, predictable funding.
Expands eligibility for state aid. to include all state-acquired lands in Ashford, not just those previously used by specific corporations (like Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.), which could account for future land acquisitions and their impact on local budgets.
Shields local taxpayers from increased burdens. due to state land ownership by maintaining municipal and special district revenues, avoiding the need for higher local taxes to make up for lost property tax income.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Aid to Ashford for State Land
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
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.
State Aid for Ashford
In Assembly Committee · Real Property Taxation · Sponsor Joseph Giglio
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
962
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the public lands law, in relation to the payment of state aid on account of certain state lands in the town of Ashford, in the county of Cattaraugus
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 19-b of the public lands law, subdivision 1 as added by chapter 260 of the laws of 1980 and subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 373 of the laws of 1981, are amended to read as follows:
1. State aid shall be payable to any municipal corporation or special district as such terms are defined by section one hundred two of the real property tax law and hereinafter collectively referred to in this section as "taxing authority", when on any assessment roll the taxable assessed valuation in such taxing authority is decreased in any year by reason of the transfer of title or possession of land or improvements thereon (a) to the state or an agency of the state located at West Valley, Cattaraugus county and theretofore utilized by the corporation known as "Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc."; or (b) to the state located in the town of Ashford, in the county of Cattaraugus, and theretofore subject to the jurisdiction of the state or any agency thereof.
2. The state aid payable to a taxing authority pursuant to this section shall be computed and paid during the first fiscal year of any such taxing authority commencing on or after January first, nineteen hundred eighty-one, and during each fiscal year thereafter. Such state aid shall in each year be equal to the amount of taxes levied or which would have been levied by or in behalf of the taxing authority against such lands and the improvements thereon on the last assessment roll finally completed in the year that the land was acquired by the state,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03013-01-9
S. 962 2
adjusted for any change in assessment, but not less than the assessment roll completed in nineteen hundred eighty.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and the first payment of state aid shall be based upon assessment rolls completed in 2019.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public lands law, in relation to the payment of state aid on account of certain state lands in the town of Ashford, in the county of Cattaraugus
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to provide for the payment of State aid to the Town of Ashford, in the County of Cattaraugus, and the special districts therein for state lands in such town.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill amends section 19-b of the Public Lands Law to provide for the payment of State aid on State lands under the jurisdic- tion of the state or any agency thereof, located in the Town of Ashford, Cattaraugus County. The amount of State aid would be determined by applying the annual tax rates(s) for such town to the assessed value of the lands, exclusive of improvements, as entered on the last assessment roll finally completed in the year the land was acquired by the state, adjusted for any change in the level of assessment, but not less than the assessment roll completed in nineteen hundred eighty.
Section 2 requires that this act shall take effect immediately, and the first payment of state aid shall be based upon the assessment rolls completed in 2019.
Existing law
Section 19-b of the Public Lands Law currently provides for the payment of State aid for the West Valley Nuclear sight based on tax rolls from 1980. In addition, Sections 532, 534, and 536 of the Real Property and Tax Law make certain State lands (not including the Town of Ashford) taxable for some or all local government purposes.
Justification
The lands that would be the subject of State aid payments were used by the state for the West Valley Demonstration project. Despite accounting for 87% of the taxable land in the Town of Ashford, the state aid payments, which are based on a 1980 assessment, have not increased since 1996. The loss of revenue to the town due to the exempt properties have become unbearable for the taxpayers in the town. The town is even more limited now in its capacity to raise revenue due to the property tax cap enacted in 2011.
Because a significant amount of the acreage in the Town is tax-exempt State property, the Town finds itself in a fiscally challenged position with a constrained and overburdened tax base. This bill would help alle- viate this situation by providing yearly State aid payments to the Town of Ashford, to offset the loss of tax revenue.
Legislative history
2018: S.444-B/A.4992-B Referred to Investigations and Government 2017: S.444-A/A.4992-A Referred to Investigations and Government
2015,2016: S.3009-A/A.5447-A Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
2013,2014: S.2676-A/A.6015-A Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
2011,2012: S.4868/A.9285 Referred to Investigations and Government Oper- ations
Fiscal implications
Minimal to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and the first payment of State aid shall be based upon assessment rolls completed in 2019.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.