Cortlandt Under the Two Percent Property Tax Cap, Nothing New

To the surprise of virtually no one who pays attention, Cortlandt’s town budget next year will stay within the state’s newly imposed cap of 2 percent on property-tax increases.

While other towns are struggling to abide by Albany’s strict limit on increases in the property levy—some hard-pressed municipalities are even voting to ignore the legislature’s mandate—Cortlandt will come in under the cap. It has done so for at least two decades.

Supervisor Linda D. Puglisi matter-of-factly announced the compliance at Tuesday’s town board meeting, telling a couple of dozen community members in the room and a television audience beyond, “We work every day to be the stewards of your money.” The audience in the room applauded.

Asked later how she readily met the state requirements when others are finding it difficult or impossible, Puglisi noted that property tax increases during her 20-year tenure have never risen by more than 1 percent in a given year.

“We’re our own tax cap here,” she said.