Tax Information | Tax Collection
Tax Information
New York State Tax Cap
The New York State Property Tax Levy Limit Law, also known as the “Tax Cap”, was signed into law in 2011 and made permanent in 2019. The law does not limit the amount of money a district can raise through the tax levy. Instead, it sets a threshold at which districts are required to obtain a higher level of community support for budget authorization. For more information on the Tax Cap, the state has set up a website with more information here.
There are three main parts to the tax levy law that you should know about:
- Tax Levy Limit
- Essentially, the tax levy limit tells a school district how much voter support it will need to pass a budget with its proposed tax levy. For school districts, the tax levy limit is the highest allowable tax levy (before exclusions) that a school district can propose as part of its annual budget and need the approval of only a simple majority of voters (50 percent plus 1) to pass the budget. If a district proposes a budget with a tax levy amount (before exclusions) above this limit, it will need the approval of a supermajority of voters (60 percent) to pass the budget. School districts are required to report their calculated tax levy limit to the state comptroller by March 1.
- Maximum allowable tax levy
- The maximum allowable tax levy is the tax levy limit PLUS certain exclusions. Taxes levied to fund the following expenses are excluded from the tax levy limit:
- Voter-approved local capital expenditures.
- Increases in the state-mandated employer contribution rates for teacher and employee pension systems that exceed two percentage points.
- Court orders/judgments resulting from tort actions of any amount that exceeds 5 percent of a district’s current levy. A school district adds these exclusions to its tax levy limit without triggering the need for 60 percent voter approval.
- The maximum allowable tax levy is the tax levy limit PLUS certain exclusions. Taxes levied to fund the following expenses are excluded from the tax levy limit:
- Proposed tax levy
- The third tax levy number is arguably the most important. It’s the tax levy called for by a school district’s proposed budget. By definition, the tax levy is the total amount of money to be raised locally by a municipality (i.e., school district) after factoring in all other available revenues. If a school district’s proposed tax levy minus exclusions is less than or equal to the district’s calculated tax levy limit, the district will need the approval of a simple majority of voters to pass its budget. If the proposed tax levy minus exclusions is greater than the district’s calculated tax levy limit, 60 percent voter approval is needed.
STAR Information
The School Tax Relief (STAR) program offers property tax relief to eligible New York State homeowners.
If you are eligible and enrolled in the STAR program, you’ll receive your benefit each year in one of two ways:
- STAR credit check: If you are registered for the STAR credit, the Tax Department will send you a STAR check in the mail each year. You can use the check to pay your school taxes. You can receive the STAR credit if you own your home and it’s your primary residence and the combined income of the owners and the owners’ spouses is $500,000 or less.
- STAR exemption: a reduction on your school tax bill. If you’ve been receiving the STAR exemption since 2015, you can continue to receive it for the same primary residence. As long as you remain eligible, you’ll see a reduction on your school tax bill for the amount of your STAR exemption. Note: The STAR exemption is no longer available to new homeowners.
STAR is a state program, which school districts have no control over. For more information about the program visit the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
Homeowners must go through their local assessor’s office to apply for the Enhanced STAR exemptions. Click here for the Mechanicville City Assessor’s website or reach them by phone at 518-664-2077.
Tax Collection
Taxpayers can now pay their tax bill online. Please use the following link to review payment options: https://payments.msbpay.
Taxpayers can now access their tax billing information online here. Receipts can also be printed from this website. To search for your bill and/or receipt, please use only the taxpayers last name, street number and street name-without suffix, i.e., Street, Avenue, Drive, ect.
Any questions? Please contact Sydney Leonard, Tax Collector, at sleonard@mechanicville.org or 518-664-5727, ext. 1105
Property Taxes
Tax Collection Dates:
- September 1st, 2024 – September 30th, 2024: No penalty
- October 1st, 2024 – October 31st, 2024: 2% penalty
- No collection on or after November 1st
Please mail all payments to:
MCSD
P.O. Box 13596
Albany, NY 12212
All delinquent taxes will be turned to municipalities after November 1st. Anyone inquiring about the amount due on an unpaid tax must now contact the municipality in which the property is located.
Please use the information below to contact your municipality:
- City of Mechanicville: 518-664-9884
- Rensselaer County: 518-270-2755
- Saratoga County: 518-884-4724
For more information: www.tax.ny.gov or 518-474-2819