Assemblywoman Galef Talks Taxes, Pensions in Peekskill

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef (D-Ossining) visited Peekskill’s City Council at their Dec. 5 work session to talk about what is happening in Albany.

The Assemblywoman recognized the challenge of the state mandated two percent tax cap, addressed the need for mandate relief, and discussed how pension, health care and insurance costs are crushing local municipalities.

“We want revenue to be targeted towards economic development and job opportunities,” Galef told the Council while discussing the state’s 3.5 billion deficit. The state budget will be released in the beginning of January, she said.

Galef said she was proud that the state passed its budget on time this year (2011), (by April 1), and that it was a struggle to close the state’s 10 billion deficit.

“We had a lot of cuts to education and health care which affects a lot of areas,” the assemblywoman said. She added that the state legislature is working to restructure areas related to Medicaid and other areas affected by budget cuts.

Galef told the council that the state has been taking on issues with unions and now has a three-year contract with zero percent raises and that union members will pay more into their health care. She also mentioned pension reform for future employees.

“So if anyone does something they aren’t supposed to they could lose the pension in the future,” she said.

The assemblywoman “admitted” that they did not do a lot with mandate relief and acknowledged that schools will struggle a lot with the two percent tax cap.

She said she has been asking her constituents for ideas on how to implement mandate relief through meetings in her Ossining office and her website.

“It’s tough because there is a constituency on everything.”

Galef advised the council to urge the public to write letters in support of anything they strongly believe could help the city.

Among the many topics discussed, Peekskill Councilwoman Drew Claxton pressed Galef on what the state is doing to help municipalities deal with pension, health care and insurance costs, and why the state is cutting the millionaire’s tax.

Galef explained that pension is based on salaries and there is no way the state would be taking over more pension costs. She said health costs are part of negotiations and a possible way to offset all costs could be to find ways to combine departments and share services.

On the millionaire’s tax Galef said that the state wants to keep businesses in New York State but also find a way to lower the burden on the middle class.

“If we raise taxes they will go to New Jersey or Connecticut,” Galef said of the “millionaire” businesses. “It would be better if Washington would do something about that.”

Galef spoke highly of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for “getting things done.”

"This governor focuses on things and things get done. He has an agenda and goals and really works at getting it done,” she said.

To read more about Galef’s positions visit her website here.