“The passage of a property tax cap is great news for all New Yorkers. It sends a signal to business leaders that the state is prepared to control the cost of government and begin to rebuild our private sector economy,” said Heather Briccetti, acting-president & CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

The property tax cap has long been a priority of The Business Council. It will contain the growth of local government spending and ultimately make New York more affordable for homeowners and businesses. New York State paid a staggering $48 billion in property taxes in 2010, up five percent from 2009.

The 2009 increase over 2008 was six percent. Businesses paid nearly 44 percent of the total tax levy, $21 billion, by far the largest non-federal tax on private sector employers. The passage of the cap completes a very positive legislative session in which much of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s and The Business Council’s fiscal reform agenda became real.

In addition to getting a property tax cap enacted into law during the 2011 legislative

session, The Business Council worked hard to advance a pro-business agenda in Albany.

As a result of our efforts we were able to proclaim the following victories for business:

• A state budget with no new broad-based taxes

• Caps on future Medicaid and school aid spending

• Improvements in the Excelsior Jobs program

• A new Article X siting law for power generation

• The Recharge NY economic development power program

• An initial local government mandate relief package

• Savings through negotiations with state workforce unions

The Council defeated legislation to expand the state’s Martin Act, with our advocacy efforts culminating in a rare defeat of legislation in the Assembly Codes Committee. The Council also led the fight against significant new energy costs, such as mandated utility purchase of expensive solargenerated electric power.

All of these achievements will lead to an improved business climate in New York.

To read more click on this link  end-of-session-flyer

NYC Business Community: Well intentioned bill will ultimately hurt the workers it seeks to help

The Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island Chambers of Commerce have formed the 5 Boro Chamber Alliance in response to concerns common among its collective membership of over 5,000 businesses across New York City.

The 5 Boro Chamber Alliance affirms its opposition to Intro No 1059 – Provision of Paid Sick Time Earned by Employees that will mandate businesses, – regardless of size – to provide paid sick time. Businesses with 10 or less employees will be required to provide five days of sick time to all employees and businesses with 10 or more employees will be required to provide nine days sick time for all employees. Businesses found in violation will be subject to $1,000 fine for each infraction.

“We have come together as the 5 Boro Chamber Alliance to address the many issues that affect our collective membership. Intro No 1059 is yet another example of a well-intentioned bill that carries the unintended consequence of hurting the very workers it seeks to help,” said Carl Hum, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the 5 Boro Chamber Alliance. “The government-mandated burden of providing paid sick leave to all employees could lead some businesses to re-think hiring plans or even worse, lay off workers as the burden becomes too much to bear, especially in this worrisome economy.”

The 5 Boro Chamber Alliance maintains, the business community needs as much flexibility as possible to weather the current economic climate – particularly if the small business community is being relied upon as the engine to guide our region out of the recession and into recovery as it traditionally has.

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The Business Council of New York State and a broad-based coalition of business groups including National Federation of Independent Business, Unshackle Upstate, The Chamber Alliance of New York State and the New York Main Street Small Business Coalition are urging you to help us stop another unfunded, job killing mandate about to be placed on all New York businesses.

“Paid Family Leave” proposals now in the legislature would provide disability benefits to workers who take up to 12 weeks of leave to deal with a variety of family situations. Employers large and small have told us that any such mandate would impede their ability to manage their workforce needs while conducting business.

The mandates in bill S-5791/A-8742 not only hurt a company’s bottom-line, they will encourage absenteeism — thereby disrupting work schedules, forcing employers to fill gaps with overtime imposed on other workers, and causing some to lose business opportunities.

This year New Yorkers have already been saddled with billions in new taxes. These Paid Family Leave bills are just another mandate whose cost can not easily be recovered.

The Business Council has set up a simple, on-line system that will enable you to send a message directly to your state Senator and Assemblyman asking them to STOP these Paid Family Leave bills.

Click here to send a message today.

If you would like to know more about bill S-5791/A-8742 click here to read a bill memo opposing these unfunded mandates.