Property Taxes and Upstate Republican Dissatisfaction
By Mike Connery on 04/19/2010 @ 04:09 PM
One more thought on the Siena Poll released this morning. As I noted earlier, the poll showed that upstate Republican voters are significantly more frustrated with their incumbent Senators than are downstate Democratic voters.
If one had to venture a reason for this, they could do worse than to look at this piece from yesterday's Democrat & Chronicle: Upstate Shoulders Lion's Share in Taxes.
Live in Westchester County and you pay the highest property taxes in the nation, with a median of $8,404 a year.
Live in upstate New York, and you also have an unenviable distinction.
Sixteen upstate counties — including Monroe, Orleans, Erie and Cortland — pay the highest property taxes compared to home values in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In all, New York's local taxes are 79 percent higher than the national average, a 2008 state report found.
Property-tax levies grew 60 percent between 1995 and 2005, more than twice the inflation rate, the state Comptroller's Office said.
Let's give that a second to really sink in. During just 10 years of Republicans' 44 year rein in the State Senate, property taxes increased by 60 percent.
Given that Republicans just unanimously rejected a Democratic budget resolution that would have provided $500 million property tax relief, I'd say upstate Republican voters have a lot to be angry about.
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