Since 2005-2006, the Arlington Board of Education has had a commitment to participating in efforts to make school funding in New York State more fair and equitable. We formed an ad hoc committee called HALT (Help Arlington Lower Taxes) to support education and advocacy for school funding and tax reform with the goal of reducing the school tax burden on Arlington taxpayers. Since that time, the state education aid system has been reformed to some extent, with some benefits to Arlington, but further improvements and strengthening are needed. Unfunded/under funded government mandates that require school districts to increase spending are a constant threat.

HALT no longer functions in the form of a committee, but continues as a board goal. Several board members, as well as Superintendent Pepe, are active participants in HALT-related activities. This web-page is devoted to providing up-to-date information about these efforts, along with news and articles about tax relief issues. If you have suggestions or information to share, please contact Arlington School Board President This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you for your support.

News and Notes:

9/4/08: Governor Announces Hearings on Property Tax Relief

8/24/08: The Clamor for Property-Tax Relief Isn't Going Away is an editorial about the Republican/Democratic split over the tax cap vs. circuit breaker approach to fixing school property taxes.

6/28/08: Letter from the Rye City School District analyzing the failure of a property tax cap to address unfairness in the current system of school district costs and tax funding.

6/10/08: A broad-based coalition representing more than one million New Yorkers has come out strongly against proposed property tax cap legislation that would take away the voice of voters, impose artificial limits on local school spending, and abandon its promise to ensure equity in the education funding formula.

6/2/08: New York State School Boards Association responds to Commission on Property Tax Relief Report.

5/21/08: A report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows why New York Shouldn’t Look to Massachusetts as a Model for Property Tax Reform.

Articles and Reports:

The New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief released their preliminary findings and recommendations on June 3, 2008.

Mandate Relief. Recommendations by the NYS School Boards Association for providing relief from state and national mandates.

It’s Elementary. An article by John Yinger, Director of the Education Finance and Accountability Program, on property tax relief in New York State.

The Dark Side of NYS STAR Exemption Program. Doug Adams, a member of the Property Tax Reform Task Force offers a critique of the STAR Exemption Program.

Excelsior! A report by the New York School Board Association about school funding and property taxes.

Websites and Contact Information:

State and National Legislators

NYS Commission on Property Tax Relief

Property Tax Reform Task Force

Coalition for Property Tax Reform

Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess

Statewide School Finance Consortium