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Home My WebLink About2021 NYS Town Priorities 02 York State resentat e's wns Sin i To: The Governor of the State of New York To: The Members of the New York State Assembly and Senate I To: The Heads of the Several State Departments, Divisions,and Other Agencies of New York $ ,C4IAc4,P„ State Governments L+' a >] To: Members of the United States Congress The objectives contained herein were adopted by the delegates to the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association of Towns of the State of New York on February 17.As ; such, they were passed by a majority of the delegates present and, in respect to these issues, represent the legislative positions of the Association for 2021. The adopted objectives were first submitted to the 'Fable of Contents Associations Resolutions Committee from one or more of its member towns. They were considered by the committee and if found to be relevant to all towns, or Assist Localities through COVID-19 Financial town government as a whole,they were then forwarded Fallout...................... .. ..........................2 to all member towns prior to the Annual Meeting.They were then put before the delegates for an affirmative or negative vote. Support Local Infrastructure ......... . .................3 The objectives contained herein,if successfully enacted into law or placed in regulation, would either directly or indirectly increase the efficiency of town government Improving the State-Local Partnership ................4 and lower costs to New York State residents.At a time when so much emphasis is being placed on studying Support and Advance ways to accomplish such goals, the Association and its members, representing almost half of New York Home Rule Principles ...................... .. 5 State's population,urge that as legislative proposals are advanced that relate to the subjects contained in this pamphlet,you will keep our positions and concerns in Assist Delivery of Town Services mind,with an intent toward embracing them as positive and Operations ..... ........................... . .6 steps for the benefit of town government and the 9 million residents represented by town government. State and Federal Tax Issues ...... ......................6 Please call upon the staff of this Association if you need assistance in resolving any issues relating to these resolutions. Additional Directives to Staff...........................................7 Respectfully submitted, )4_� ((,4 Gerry Geist Executive Director February 26,2021 Association of Towns•1 2021 Legislative Goals date of deficiency notes to five years from issue date;Authorize local New York State governments to borrow from reserve funds to offset revenue shortages; Allow towns to issue bonds to Town Priorities m address revenue shortfalls. The 2021 Legislative Program was developed I Amend the Utility Moratorium on throughout the year,and adopted by the Termination of Services to alleviate delegates to the 2021 Annual Business the financial burden on local Meeting of the Association of Towns of the governments and provide direct State of New York on February 17. financial assistance to municipal enterprise funds to prevent further interruption of services and Assist Localities through compounded revenue loss. COVID-19 Financial Fallout • Provide direct federal funding to Support Local Infrastructure all local governments, regardless of Increase base funding for the population size or class to account Consolidated Highway Improvement for the financial stress placed on Program (CHIPS) and Marchiselli municipalities due to loss of revenue Program to close the gap on the while maintaining essential service estimated additional $1.3 billion delivery levels. needed annually to repair our local roads and bridges. • Seek town input and collaborate with local leaders regarding COVID-19 • Enact a long-term capital plan that vaccination distribution to ensure considers local road, bridge and equitable and efficient delivery to all culvert funding needs as well as New Yorkers, particularly when local CHIPS, PAVE-NY and other funding resources are involved. sources. • Provide direct funding or Fund a more permanent and reimbursement to towns for predictable program for local bridges expenses incurred in vaccination and culverts versus the competitive, delivery. short-term nature of the BridgeNY • Provide towns with more options to program. address revenue shortfalls, including but not limited to:Amending the local finance law to extend maturity 2021 Legislative Goals•2 Association of Towns•3 Improving the State-Local implementing new plans and policies Partnership to end racial bias and any disparate treatment by local police. • Increase unrestricted state aid and . Create a statewide committee to dedicated infrastructure funding. examine how recent criminal justice • Support broadband access and reforms meet social justice goals, deployment for all New Yorkers prioritize victim and witness safety, through additional funding, maintain public safety and evaluate legislative initiatives and programs any impact these reforms have had while preserving local governments' on local resources. authority over municipal infrastructure,siting decisions,fees Support and Advance Home Rule and application review processes. Principles • Enable towns to create programs to Uphold and strengthen the principles collect revenue from unpaid parking of Home Rule,and accordingly and/or traffic violation fines,such oppose any state initiative that seeks as an amnesty program allowing to weaken or threaten New York's individuals to pay a one-time long-standing status as a Home Rule reduced fee or enter into a payment state. plan for fines. • Authorize localities to make local • Meaningfully involve town officials road classifications and designations, and their representatives in the which will lower costs on rural development and advancement roads and allow for more efficient of any clean energy project taking maintenance of these roads. place within a town's geographical jurisdiction as towns seek a Allow towns the option of allowing partnership in the advancement of cultivators, processors,distributors, clean energy goals. D dispensaries and any other cannabis- related facility rights to operate • Provide state-level training {� � on ways U within their governing jurisdiction. to address racial inequity to enable local governments best identify and Maintain local govern ments'zoning end any practices that contribute to autonomy and discretionary such inequities. review practices during efforts to bring broadband and other • Provide state funding to local telecommunication technologies to governments with police agencies rural areas. to assist them in creating and 2021 Legislative Goals 9 4 Association of Towns 9 5 • Abide by local laws in the the level of tax exemption for IDA development and implementation of projects as well as negotiate and Climate Leadership and Community enter PILOT agreements as they Protection Act(CLCPA) goals as they relate to IDA projects. reflect the needs and wants of the community. • Allow towns to tax telecommunications infrastructure as • Preserve local authority over real property. local rights-of-way and allow local governments to charge Provide state funding for any state- telecommunications companies mandated or state-encouraged fair market value for any permit exemption programs to protect local application, rental and rights-of-ways property tax revenues. fees. • Adopt legislation proactively Assist Delivery of Town Services prohibiting the use of the"Dark Store Theory"as a valuation method in real and Operations property assessment,as it results in • Pending the legalization of an unfair shift of the tax burden from cannabis,any legalization program big box stores to other taxpayers. should distribute fair share of revenue to towns to assist with service delivery and increased needs. • Increase General Municipal Law§99- 1 reimbursement fees to towns to assist in the delivery of justice court operations. • Establish surcharge to maintain office of town prosecutor to neutralize the expenses associated with the position. State and Federal Tax Issues • Amend General Municipal Law Article 18-A and other relevant statutes to give authority to towns to determine i 2021 Legislative Goals•6 Association of Towns•7 r 2020-2021 Resolutions Committee Issues Referred to Staff These are issues evaluated by the Resolutions Edmond Theobald,Chair Supervisor Manlius Committee and were referred to AOT staff to work Peter Barber Supervisor Guilderland on.They will appear in AOT's Legislative Program Michael Boesel Hwy.Supt. Palmyra as issues we are concerned with,but they will not Steve Broderick Supervisor Lewiston l be considered a priority for the year. Michael Cashman Supervisor Plattsburgh I Gina De Bemardo Pidnich Supervisor Mount Kisco Amend Prevailing Wage-Change the Dale DeKing Supervisor Bridgewater manner in which prevailing wage is calculated MaryDelanoy Receiver of Taxes Patterson to more accurately reflect the prevailing wage James Foster Board Member Bethlehem within a particular community. Patrina Freeman Board Member Irondequoit Cindy Goliber Town Clerk Potsdam Dorothy Goosby Board Member Hempstead Jillian Guthman Receiver of Taxes Huntington Rebecca Haines Town Clerk Ellery ECE I V Susan Haag Town C1erk/Rec. Austerlitz • I Melissa Hartman Supeivisor Eden Jacqueline Hernandez Board Member Woodbury APR 6 2021 Cheryl Horton Supervisor Philadelphia Amel Jowdy Town Justice Cambria Christopher Koetzle Supervisor Glenville Southold Town Clerk Brian Kulpa Strperi4br Amherst Charles Lustig Board Member Willsboro Mike Marinaccio Supervisor Dickinson Lori Milne Tax Collector Skaneateles William Moehle Supervisor Brighton Elizabeth Ann Neville Town Clerk Southold AndreaNdon Assessor Hamptonburgh Dennis Powers State/Fed.Liaison Amherst Anthony Provenzano Town Justice Rye Christopher Pryslopski Board Member Rosendale j Jean Raymond Supervisor Edinburg Anne Sapienza Assessor Stafford Sarah Schnabel Board Member Danby Justin Taylor Board of Review Clayton Robert Taylor Planning Board New Lisbon Dennis Valente Supervisor Davenport Allison Vento Town Clerk Pomfret Tina Ward Town Clerk Cobleskill 2021 Legislative Goals•8 Gerry Geist Executive Director AOTSNY