May 27, 2015
By Neal Tepel
Queens, NY – Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Beach) and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D,WF-Fresh Meadows) have sent a letter to the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Real Property Taxation requesting that a public hearing be convened to examine the current state of the City’s property tax system.
“Queens residents have made it clear that our property tax system is in desperate need of change,” said Rozic. “Taxes are rising and the confusion in the system still remains. The system needs to be re-evaluated so that homeowners are relieved of a burden that hinders economic growth.”
“Our families deserve a property tax system that’s fair and user-friendly. Sadly, what we have now is a system that is simply too confusing, unfair and does not have families’ best interests in mind. By holding a public hearing, we can give our families a voice and work to create a system that benefits our community and helps our families in Queens grow and thrive,” said Goldfeder.
In a letter to Assembly Committee on Real Property Taxation Chair Sandy Galef, the legislators called for a public hearing into disparities in the current property tax system and complicated tax filing laws. Goldfeder and Rozic have recommended soliciting feedback from the New York City Department of Finance and other stakeholders on how to reform the current tax system.
The two legislators have long been at the forefront of improving the tax system They have supported legislation simplifying the city's complicated property tax regime by making the city's assessment information readily accessible to homeowners. Most recently, they enacted a law introduced by Goldfeder to provide thousands of Superstorm Sandy victims with property tax abatements to prevent the tax increases they faced for home repairs and improvements.
