Veteran senator and new assemblyman discuss priorities for upcoming legislative session

When the New York State legislative session begins next week, the two men representing Riverhead residents include one of the longest-tenured senators in the state and the newest member of the State Assembly.

But Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) who will take his seat in the State Senate chamber for the 37th consecutive year and Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), a political newcomer who took office following a special election Nov. 5, share a common priority for the 2014 session: tax reduction.

“Mine is very simple – real property tax relief,” LaValle said in an interview this week when asked about his top priorities for 2014.

LaValle, who shares with upstate Sen. Hugh Farley the distinction of being the most senior member of the upper chamber of the State Legislature — both were elected in 1976 — said he is committed to expanding the “Circuit Breaker” law he sponsored in during his first legislative session in 1977,. He proposes increasing the income limits currently in place that determine seniors’ eligibility for Enhanced STAR property tax exemptions. He also resolved to work to require the state to issue the rebate checks directly to taxpayers, something that has not happened since 2008.

Also on his agenda are a property tax freeze for everyone and giving incentives to local governments to stem property tax increases.

The veteran senator said he’s got an eye on building infrastructure at the Enterprise Park at Calverton.

“Sewering for EPCAL is critically important,” he said. LaValle carried a bill passed last year creating a special commission to oversee redevelopment of the enterprise, granting it authority to fast-track approvals of proposals that comply with an overall land-use plan currently being formulated. Last month, the governor announced a $1.34 million grant for upgrading EPCAL’s existing sewage treatment plant, a project that has an estimated $20 million price tag.

Palumbo will take his seat as a member of a minority caucus that barely comprises 40 percent of the assembly’s membership. Nevertheless, he promises advance an ambitious Republican agenda.

The new assemblyman is proposing a 2-percent cut in the middle class tax rate, which his office said would save the average taxpayer $1,033 per year. He’s also proposing the doubling of the basic STAR property tax exemption.

“My wife and I want a future where family members aren’t forced to move away because they can’t make ends meet,” Palumbo said in a statement. “Seniors like my parents shouldn’t be taxed out of their homes. Middle-class families should be able to afford to remain in our state for generations to come.”

According to a recent study by the Brookings Institute based on U.S. Census Bureau data between 2005 and 2012, Suffolk County ranks 12th in the nation for taxes paid, with the average amount paid at $7,600. With the average home value at $411,000, the county ranks 59th in the nation for that figure. Taxes paid as share of home value comes in at 1.85 percent, ranking Suffolk 188 in the U.S.

Palumbo said he will make an overhaul of the controversial Common Core curriculum another one of his priorities.

“The implementation has been a disaster, much like the implementation of Obamacare on the federal level,” he said.

He added that unfunded state mandates for school districts have put undue pressure on homeowners’ property taxes.

Palumbo also mentioned management of the area’s deer population, saying it has reached a level where it must be addressed.

RiverheadLOCAL photo courtesy of Anthony Palumbo