What's happening
This bill provides annual state aid payments to Albany for the Harriman State Office Building Campus based on its 2009 assessed value for ten years.
Why it matters
Stabilizes Revenue for Albany. By setting annual state aid payments based on the Harriman Campus’s 2009 assessed value, the bill provides Albany with predictable, stable funding for ten years, aiding city budget planning despite changes in property value or ownership.
Offsets Property Tax Loss. Since state-owned properties like the Harriman Campus do not generate local property tax revenue, the annual payments compensate Albany for this lost tax base, supporting local services without shifting the burden to other taxpayers.
Protects City from Value Fluctuations and State Sales. The bill locks in the assessment value unless the state sells part of the property, in which case payments are adjusted downward—ensuring aid reflects the property’s actual status while preventing windfalls or shortfalls for the city.
Supports Local Services. Payments are earmarked for “city purposes only,” ensuring these state funds directly benefit municipal services—such as public safety, infrastructure, and education—rather than being diverted elsewhere.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Boost City Aid for State Land
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
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.
More Aid for State-Leased Land
In Assembly Committee · Real Property Taxation · Sponsor Patricia Fahy
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
988
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BRESLIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the public lands law, in relation to certain stateleased or state-owned lands
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 19-a of the public lands law is amended by adding a new subdivision 2-b to read as follows:
2-b. (1) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, in addition to state aid otherwise payable pursuant to this section, there shall be payable to any city located in a county in which there has been constructed a state office building project known as the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus (more specifically identified on the assessment roll of such city as section, lot and block numbers 53.00-1-2 and 53.00-1-9, respectively), state aid payable annually, in an amount equal to 1.75 percent of such aggregate assessed values of such state office building project as it appeared on the two thousand nine final assessment roll of such city.
(2) Such payments shall be for city purposes only, and shall begin on June first, two thousand nineteen and shall be payable for a period of ten years. For greater certainty, such city's assessments for the properties described in paragraph one of this subdivision are to remain at such two thousand nine total assessed values, i.e. six hundred sixtythree million nine hundred fifty thousand nine hundred dollars and ten million four hundred nineteen thousand six hundred dollars, respectively, throughout such ten year period, provided, however, if any portion of the property is sold by the state of New York during this period, then the sale price of such sale shall be deducted from its appropriate above referenced total assessed value on the next succeeding assessment roll, and such reduced total assessed value shall become the new basis for determining the annual payment for that and each succeeding year thereafter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01089-01-9
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 certain state- leased or state-owned lands
Purpose or general idea of bill
Authorizes payment of additional state aid for certain state-leased or state-owned lands
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 - amends section 19-a of the public lands law by adding a new subdivision 2-b Section 2 is the effective date
Justification
This legislation which was requested by the City of Albany would provide for payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). Currently, nearly 60% of the City is tax-exempt, largely as a result of State ownership. This legislation proposes a PILOT payment of 1.75% of the present value of the Harriman Campus, an amount that would be approximately $11.7 million annually. The bill provides that this amount would be paid annually for ten years and would decrease sooner if the Harriman Campus is privatized.
Prior legislative history
2017/18: S.2684 Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
2015/16: A.3021/S.2126
2013/14: A.4658-B/S1138-B
2012: A.10022/S.7201
Fiscal implications
To be determined
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.