NORWICH – A tax cap, ethics reform and marriage equality are at the top of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s legislative agenda, according to Matthew Driscoll.
The former two-term Syracuse mayor, now the president and CEO of New York’s Environmental Facilities Corporation, was in Norwich last week to meet with elected officials and business leaders at Commerce Chenango.
“Today, I’m really carrying an important message from the governor,” said Driscoll, whose visit last Friday was part of Cuomo’s People First Campaign.
According to Driscoll, Cuomo has already delivered on one of his campaign promises: passing a budget.
“The budget was honest, it was balanced and it was on time,” he said, applauding Cuomo for closing the state’s $10 billion budget gap without borrowing or raising taxes.
Now, he explained, the governor has moved on to the second phase of his action plan for New York.
According to the state official, Cuomo has three priorities for the remainder of the legislative session. The first, he explained, is to stimulate the economy, which he proposes to do by instituting a tax cap. The second, to “clean up Albany” through ethics reform; and the third, to “return New York’s legacy of social progress,” by supporting marriage equality.
“Job one is to get the economy running,” he reported, explaining that the governor’s plan is to “level the field” for businesses by reducing the cost of government and reining in taxes.
According to Driscoll, New York’s property taxes have caused an “exodus” of businesses and families from the state.
“We cannot continue to move forward if we are the tax capital of the nation,” he said, explaining that the average New York tax bill is 92 percent higher than the median. “We need to impose fiscal discipline.”
Cuomo’s answer is to implement a tax cap. Under the proposed policy, schools and municipalities would be prevented from raising the tax levy more than two percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Certain exceptions would apply, such as for capital projects and state mandated social services. And Driscoll stressed that communities would be able to override the cap, given 60 percent of voters approve.
Driscoll pointed to Massachusetts as an example of how a tax cap policy could help drive economic growth.
“It’s really not what you spend; it’s what you achieve,” he said. “Performance matters ... results matter ... accountability matters.”
He also talked about education.
“The return on investment is woefully inadequate,” he said, pointing out that New York is first in spending but 34th in results when compared to other states. Even though enrollments have been on the decline for the last decade, he reported, both the number of teachers hired and administrative costs have been on the rise.
He stressed the need for mandate relief to help both schools and local governments become more efficient and reduce spending. A team has been organized to examine this issue, headed by one of the governor’s senior advisors.
“Everything is on the table, as it must be,” he said.
Ethics reform is also high on Cuomo’s agenda, according to Driscoll.
“The governor has made it a top priority to clean up Albany,” he said.
Many New Yorkers have lost trust in state government, and in order to restore that trust, meaningful reforms are needed, he said.
He called the previous self-policing ethics policy an “oxymoron,” akin to having the fox watching the hen house.
“Everything should be an open book,” he said, advocating for a full disclosure policy.
Another of Cuomo’s top legislative priorities is marriage equality. According to Driscoll, New York has a history of being socially progressive, particularly when it comes to the environment, women’s rights and workers rights.
“These actions have changed the face of America,” he said.
When it comes to marriage equality, states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa are all ahead of New York.
“I would think we could do better than Iowa,” he said.
According to Driscoll, the governor “believes in equality for all New Yorkers,” something he says 58 percent of people across the state support as well.
He asked those in attendance to support Cuomo’s People First agenda by contacting their elected officials in Albany.
Driscoll spoke individually with some leaders and members of the press both before and after the presentation, but he did not take questions from the audience. This was a sticking point for some. Despite that fact, Commerce Chenango Interim President Sewain Conklin said the presentation was still a step in the right direction.
“I think the more communication you get between folks from Albany and (local business and community leaders) the better,” he said.
While not everyone was able to have their questions about Cuomo’s legislative agenda addressed, Conklin said, at least “they were able to hear it directly from a representative from the governor.”