Superintendents Will Meet to Address Cuomo Tax Cap

As the potential realities of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed property tax cap begin to set in with school districts across the state, about 200 school leaders from 36 districts across Suffolk County will meet with elected officials on Saturday to develop advocacy strategies for funding issues.

State Sen. John Flanagan, R-Smithtown, and Assemb. Steve Englebright, D-East Setauket, are slated to attend the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association meeting, which is being held at the Sherwood Instructional Support Center in Holbrook.

In a statement outlining the goals of the advocacy workshop, the SCSSA stressed "the importance of Long Island speaking with one voice to the rest of the state."

"Before the law is enacted, you want to lobby the representatives to put in certain things to make the law less arduous," said Three Village interim superintendent Neil Lederer, a past SCSSA president.

Hampton Bays Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen said he would be in attendance at the meeting. He says he believes the gathering will provide a forum where educators can share their thoughts on the proposed tax cap.

“I think that fact we are meeting is a good thing. The more we can share and educate each other on the impact of a tax cap, the better informed the decision makers will be when they pass a law. When it is passed, hopefully they will have an understanding on what it would do to school district program,” he said.

With no specifics of the property tax proposal yet disclosed; Clemensen said he could not say exactly how a cap would impact the Hampton Bays School District.   

“No proposal has been through the legislature yet," he said.  "The specifics are still hypothetical, but it could potentially have an affect on the Hampton Bays School District.  Depending on the cap and how much we would have to cut, it could be manageable or very detrimental to personal and programs in school district.  It is important for all of us to share perspective.”

School administrators from Westhampton Beach and East Quogue were unavailable as of press time and East End Assemblyman Fred Thiele, I-Sag Harbor, said he was not invited to the meeting.