The Senate Republican majority on Thursday unveiled an $8.4 billion proposal to eventually triple school tax rebates, and for another $9.5 billion, give local school districts the option of eliminating school property taxes altogether by turning over that cost to the state.
The sheer cost and scope of the proposal almost guarantees it won't all be passed this year. But the plan puts Senate Republicans -- who have a slender two-seat majority and who consider the tax-burdened suburbs of Long Island their power base -- on record as making school property tax relief their legislative priority this year.

"The property tax is the tax that all of the experts agree is hurting every region of this state," said Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, R-Brunswick.

The plan calls for doubling the 2007 School Tax Relief, or STAR, rebate and then tripling it by 2009. For seniors, the rebate would triple this year and quadruple in 2009.

Another proposal, dubbed NY-STOP, or Stop Taxing Our Property, would let people petition and then vote to have their districts drop their property taxes 20 percent for five years. The state would then take over that responsibility.

The plan would also do away with income thresholds that Spitzer pushed through to favor middle- and lower-income families and freeze assessments for seniors.

Democrats were cool to the idea, which some suggested was unrealistic, especially given the projected $4.3 billion deficit looming in the coming year's budget.

"We all support property tax relief," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan. "How do you pay for it?"

"Are we shifting taxes? Are we going to be forced to raise income taxes in order to pay for property tax reductions?" Silver questioned.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget spokesman, Jeffrey Gordon noted the governor and Legislature instituted a sweeping boost to the STAR program which targeted relief to those who most needed it.

"This year, the governor is developing a budget proposal that balances the need for property tax relief with the need to control spending," said Gordon.

Times Union