A Winter’s Tale for Little Ones

(Medford, NY) Assemblyman Edward Hennessey toured the Developmental Disabilities Institute located in Medford, where he read “The Cold Lady that Swallowed the Snow” to a class of attentive preschoolers.

The youngsters are part of the Young Autism Program at DDI, which has methodologies designed to help the children gain the necessary skills to be successful at home, in school and in the community. The staff is highly trained to meet the individual needs of children living with autism.

(Medford, NY) The Medford Chamber of Commerce has held its Annual Holiday Parade which was accompanied by a light dusting of snow, which added to the festive atmosphere. Seasonal music was provided by the Executives during the tree lighting in Medford Memorial Park. The Medford Fire Department, which assisted with the parade, also provided hot cocoa and cookies at the fire house for parade-goers to warm up.

Pictured left to right are red Christmas elves Desiree Lamberson and Cody Tarver; Assemblyman Edward Hennessey; green Christmas elves Gene, Paige and Jessica Tarver; and parade-goers Rebecca and Rachel Murphy. Paige Tarver is the newly elected president of the Chamber.

“Great parade, great float, great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Thanks to the Medford community and the Medford Chamber for inviting me,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today praised Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, for issuing new regulations permitting “shared appreciation” mortgage modifications in New York State. Under a shared appreciation modification, a bank or mortgage servicer agrees to reduce the outstanding principal balance on a borrower’s mortgage in exchange for a share of any future increase in the value of the home. For borrowers who are underwater on their mortgage, owing more than their home is worth, shared appreciation modifications can significantly improve their chances of avoiding foreclosure.

“I commend Governor Cuomo and Commissioner Lawsky for putting forward regulations that will allow shared appreciation loan modifications to aid struggling New York homeowners who are still fighting to stay in their homes,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “When used carefully, shared appreciation modifications are an important tool in the effort stem the foreclosure crisis. This is a vital part of our collective effort to maximize opportunities to keep New York families in their homes.”

The regulations for shared appreciation modifications that were issued today are available here.

(Long Island, NY) We are pleased that the Governor’s New York State Tax Relief Commission report incorporates key elements of a Senate Republican tax reform plan advanced by Senators DeFrancisco and Marcellino that focuses on cutting taxes to create new jobs, reforming our tax structure and giving hardworking taxpayers some much-needed relief.

It is encouraging that today’s report includes proposals to address issues related to achieving broad-based tax reductions for job creators, including reducing corporate tax rates, reducing taxes on manufacturers and accelerating the elimination of the 18-a energy surcharge, while also reducing the estate tax burden.

However, in order to bring about real job growth and give New Yorkers the tax relief they need to live and stay in New York, the plan must go further. We urge the Governor and members of the Legislature to enact a permanent state spending cap along with a dedicated fund for tax relief, completely eliminate corporate taxes on manufacturers statewide, provide inflation indexing to the income tax, and make both the middle-class income tax rates and the property tax cap permanent. These and other proposals were included in the Senate Republican Conference’s Tax Policy Review and Reform Initiative.

I am proud that Senate Republicans have consistently stood at the forefront of efforts to cut taxes for businesses, taxpayers and families, and have been the driving force behind creation of the STAR program, the property tax cap, the Family Tax Relief program and the reduction in the middle-class tax rates to their lowest levels in more than 60 years. As a Legislature, we must build on that progress.

As part of next year’s budget, it is critical that we deliver broad-based tax relief to as many New Yorkers as possible, remove the obstacles that discourage small businesses from creating new jobs, improve the state’s business climate and bring meaningful relief to hardworking, middle-class taxpayers. We recognize that simply shifting costs from one taxpayer to another would be a missed opportunity. It’s time to get to work on a comprehensive tax cutting and regulatory relief plan for New York.

(Hauppauge, NY) “I am excited to see the Tax Relief Commission’s recommendations and the promise they hold for helping lower property taxes on Suffolk County’s residents and reinvigorate the local economy. Long Island’s homeowners pay among the highest taxes in the nation – a fact that has for too many years caused families to leave the state and for businesses to pack up shop.

The Governor has recognized this issue and it was a pleasure to join him this morning to hear the recommendations issued today. I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Cuomo to help lower taxes for New Yorkers and build a more friendly business climate for our local job creators.”

To access Governor Cuomo’s full press release: http://www.governor.ny.gov/news-images/12102013-tax-relief-commission-final-report

(Long Island, NY) Lee Zeldin, Conservative Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in New York’s First Congressional District, has been officially endorsed by the Suffolk County Corrections Officer Association (SCCOA).“A military man and a distinguished man of the law, the SCCOA proudly endorses Senator Lee Zeldin for U.S. Congress,” said SCCOA President Vito Dagnello.

“His Senate record clearly shows that Lee has what it takes to be tough on crime and keep our communities and our families safe. He has crafted legislation to tackle some of Long Island’s toughest criminals, from street gangs to the perpetrators of organized retail crime. I have full faith in Lee’s ability to represent the voice of local law enforcement and our organization stands behind him in his bid for Congress.”

“I am very grateful to the SCCOA for their support,” said Senator Zeldin. “The Corrections officers play a vital role protecting Long Island families and I will work tirelessly to ensure that they can continue to do so.”

To learn more about Senator Zeldin and his campaign for Congress, please visit www.zeldinforcongress.com.

Applications Due February 7, 2014

(Hauppauge, NY) The Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning has put out a call for applications for projects that seek to support the arts, cultural affairs and downtown community development. Applications for both programs are due by February 7, 2014.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, “The arts are a wonderful mechanism to bring communities together. We will continue to build stronger downtown neighborhoods with our continued support of local artists and the creative development of public spaces. ”

The program is a new initiative known as Destination Downtown. In this program, a total of $50,000 will be made available through two separate $25,000 grants. The application process is open to Arts Councils in Suffolk County that have tax-exempt 501(c)3 status.

Applications will be evaluated on their ability to:

• Improve downtown quality of life
• Foster stronger community involvement and identifies a sense of place
• Encourage cultural tourism and economic development downtown
• Strengthen the arts community and encourage future private-public partnerships
• Expand overall access to the arts across income levels

The second initiative, known as the Community Arts Re-grant program, has $223,066 to administer grants to fund small community groups, film programs and artist collectives. In this fund tax-exempt arts organizations and collectives in Suffolk County can apply for a grant between $1,000-$5,000.

Examples of previously funded projects include:

• $2,500 to the Railroad Museum of Long Island to fund performances of the Eastbound Freight Bluegrass Band during the two-day Riverhead Railroad Festival.
• $1,500 to Northeast Stage for a production of “Julius Caesar” in Mitchell Park, Greenport.
• $1,000 to The Silver Chords for two series of choral concerts at Kings Park H.S. Islip H.S.

All applications will be reviewed by the Citizens Arts Advisory Board. Funding recommendations are then passed along to the Suffolk County Legislature for approval. Funding for both programs is provided by Fund 192, commonly referred to as the Hotel/Motel Tax.

“Cultural events and the performing arts have an amazing economic impact on our local downtown businesses. They build a sense of community and they encourage our residents to visit our fine local shops and world-class restaurants,” added Deputy County Executive and Commissioner of Economic Development & Planning Joanne Minieri.

Local percent registered ranges from 100% to 60%

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said today that more than 2 million qualified homeowners statewide have now registered for the STAR property tax exemption. The deadline is December 31.

“STAR saves homeowners an average of $700 every year, but time is running out,” said Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox.  “If you’re eligible and haven’t registered yet, take a little time from your busy holiday schedule and register today.  It only takes between 2 and 4 minutes to complete the process online.”

The Tax Department, which has hosted more than 200 in-person registration events across the state, has directly mailed at least once all of the nearly 2.7 million New York homeowners who claimed the exemption last year.  In November, the Department sent reminder postcards to 900,000 who had not yet registered.

The registration is a one-time process – assuring that homeowners will get the Basic STAR exemption in 2014, and beyond.  Senior citizens receiving the Enhanced STAR exemption are not impacted by the new registration program.

The Basic STAR exemption is available on the primary residence of homeowners with incomes under $500,000. The registration stems from a Tax Department investigation that found thousands of taxpayers receiving STAR exemptions on more than one property.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo included the initiative in the 2013-14 State Budget.  He directed the Tax Department to develop a user-friendly system to eliminate inappropriate exemptions while making it simple for eligible homeowners to maintain their STAR benefits.

Register online or by phone

To register, visit www.tax.ny.gov or call 518-457-2036.  Online information is available in six different languages and translators stand ready to assist via telephone. The Department is offering extended STAR Hotline hours through December 31 – 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Municipalities with the Highest Percent Registered
Municipality	County	% Registered
Red House	Cattaraugus	100%
Clifton Park	Saratoga	90%
Pendleton	Niagara	89%
Halfmoon	Saratoga	89%
Lancaster	Erie	89%
East Greenbush	Rensselaer	89%
Glenville	Schenectady	88%
Brunswick	Rensselaer	88%
Orchard Park	Erie	88%
Clarence	Erie	88%
Municipalities with the Highest Number of Unregistered Basic STAR Recipients
Municipality	County	Not Registered	% Registered
New York City	–	226,038	60%
Hempstead	Nassau	43,435	71%
Brookhaven	Suffolk	21,917	77%
Oyster Bay	Nassau	14,820	77%
Islip	Suffolk	13,932	77%
North Hempstead	Nassau	12,366	72%
Huntington	Suffolk	10,280	77%
Buffalo	Erie	9,749	68%
Yonkers	Westchester	9,379	64%
Rochester	Monroe	8,895	65%

Map of registration by county

List of registration by municipality

Operations Center Open at 1:00pm Due to Winter Weather Advisory

(Yaphank, NY) Due to the Winter Weather Advisory issued for Long Island by the National Weather Service, the Suffolk County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will open at 1:00pm today staffed with Emergency Response personnel.

Suffolk County Department of Public Works has been on the County roads this morning salting the roads to allow for the least amount of snow accumulation.

“Be safe as you travel the roads today,” stated County Executive Bellone. “Our Emergency Operations Center will be open and our Department of Public Works has been working since early this morning to address road conditions.”

For non-emergency Police calls in Suffolk County, call 631-852-2677. For emergencies call 911. Please do not call a 911 or other emergency telephone lines unless you are in need of assistance with an immediate physical or medical emergency.

DFS Regulations Would Permit ‘Shared Appreciation’ Mortgage Modifications – Which Can Benefit Both Homeowners and Investors; Provides New Option for Homeowners who May Have Been Previously Turned down for Relief

(New York, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his Administration is proposing to expand the mortgage relief options available to struggling ‘underwater’ homeowners, who owe more than the current market value of their homes. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) is issuing proposed regulations that would authorize and encourage “Shared Appreciation” mortgage modifications in New York. Under a shared appreciation modification, banks and mortgage servicers reduce the amount of principal outstanding on a borrower’s mortgage in exchange for a share of the future increase in the value of the home.

“For many homeowners and investors, this innovative approach to mortgage relief could prove to be a win-win,” said Governor Cuomo. “First and foremost it will help keep more families in their homes and out of foreclosure, while at the same time reducing potential losses for investors. That’s good for homeowners, good for local neighborhoods, and good for the long-term strength of the housing market.”

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, said: “Principal reduction can provide a life raft for many struggling homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages. In New York, we will continue to explore new options to reach as many homeowners as possible and deliver relief to struggling families facing foreclosure.”

The dramatic drop in home prices that accompanied the financial crisis left millions of homeowners owing more on their mortgages than the value of their homes. Families trapped in these underwater mortgages are generally at much greater risk of losing their homes.

Foreclosures are deeply costly to both the families who lose their homes, as well as the investors who are often forced to take sharp losses and sell the property into a distressed market. Additionally, foreclosures can do great damage to surrounding neighborhoods through the negative impact of blight and vacant properties on communities and home prices. Preventing avoidable foreclosures can be beneficial to homeowners, investors, and local housing markets.

The Cuomo Administration is proposing new regulations authorizing and encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to provide shared appreciation mortgage modification to underwater homeowners facing foreclosure. The homeowners who would be eligible under this regulation include those who are not eligible for existing federal and private foreclosure prevention programs. As such, these regulations could provide new options for homeowners who have previously been turned down for mortgage assistance.

The proposed regulation includes a number of important consumer protection requirements. Under the proposed regulation, banks and mortgage servicers must provide clear and prominent disclosures to borrowers about the terms and nature of the shared appreciation mortgage modification. Additionally, the mortgage investor’s share of the appreciation will be limited to the lesser of: (1) The amount of the reduction in principal, plus interest; or (2) Fifty percent of the amount of appreciation in market value.

To view a copy of the proposed DFS regulations, please visit, link.