For Release: IMMEDIATELY, May 19, 2010
Contact: Debbie Busch (518) 928-1591
DEBBIE BUSCH: “104th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE WITH SCHOOL BUDGET VOTES”
Assembly candidate says voters want return on investment not higher taxes
“Yesterday, voters in the 104th Assembly District sent a clear and unmistakable message that they want a return on investment for their hard-earned money and not higher property taxes.”
“Voters in the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District rejected an unnecessarily bloated budget that would have increased taxes by 6.7 percent because they’re tired of all the unfunded mandates being passed onto us in the form of higher property taxes from the state Legislature.”
“In contrast, voters in Albany and Guilderland approved school budgets with low tax levies that maintained a commitment to a high-quality education for our children. The Albany and Guilderland school districts should be commended for listening to residents and offering budgets that didn’t sock taxpayers with outrageous property tax hikes.”
“Ultimately, something must be done on the state level to reform our broken property tax system, and end the unfunded state mandates to burden schools and make taxpayers pay through the nose. We shouldn’t have to always spend more money for good schools; rather we should just be smarter about spending what we have.”
The 104th Assembly District includes part of the City of Albany and the towns of Berne, Guilderland, Knox, New Scotland, Rensselaerville, and Westerlo.
