North Rockland Mirant Debt Relief

The Issue

The North Rockland Central School District as well as the community has suffered financially due to the Mirant power plant reassessment and closure.  The community needs the help of our state and federal leaders.  Property taxes have almost doubled since 2008 and our district has made significant cuts to both staff and program.  The Mirant bond will be with our community through 2036 and accounts for $11.5 million dollars in the school budget.   The Mirant court ordered settlement will cost the North Rockland Central School District $345,000,000 in principal and interest. This debt has depleted tax reserves and crippled homeowners . As North Rockland residents we urge you, our elected representatives to help our district by passing reoccurring legislation to fund this tax certiorari debt.

"El Distrito Escolar Central de North Rockland y su comunidad ha sufrido financieramente debido a la reevaluación y el cierre de la planta de Energía Mirant. La comunidad necesita la ayuda de nuestros líderes estatales y federales. Los impuestos de propiedad casi se han duplicado desde el 2008 y nuestro distrito ha realizado recortes significativos del personal y los programas educativos. Los pagos del bono de Mirant estarán con nuestra comunidad hasta el 2036 en la cantidad de $11.5 millones de dólares que salen del presupuesto anual del distrito. La liquidación de Mirant impuesta por orden de un tribunal le costará al Distrito Escolar Central de North Rockland $345 millones en capital e intereses. Esta deuda ha agotado las reservas del distrito y ha tenido un serio impacto en los propietarios de viviendas. Como residentes de North Rockland les instamos a ustedes, nuestros representantes elegidos, a ayudar a nuestro distrito con la promulgación de leyes que nos permita financiar esta deuda de impuestos certiorari."

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North Rockland Debt ReliefPetition Starter
This petition had 1,891 supporters

The Issue

The North Rockland Central School District as well as the community has suffered financially due to the Mirant power plant reassessment and closure.  The community needs the help of our state and federal leaders.  Property taxes have almost doubled since 2008 and our district has made significant cuts to both staff and program.  The Mirant bond will be with our community through 2036 and accounts for $11.5 million dollars in the school budget.   The Mirant court ordered settlement will cost the North Rockland Central School District $345,000,000 in principal and interest. This debt has depleted tax reserves and crippled homeowners . As North Rockland residents we urge you, our elected representatives to help our district by passing reoccurring legislation to fund this tax certiorari debt.

"El Distrito Escolar Central de North Rockland y su comunidad ha sufrido financieramente debido a la reevaluación y el cierre de la planta de Energía Mirant. La comunidad necesita la ayuda de nuestros líderes estatales y federales. Los impuestos de propiedad casi se han duplicado desde el 2008 y nuestro distrito ha realizado recortes significativos del personal y los programas educativos. Los pagos del bono de Mirant estarán con nuestra comunidad hasta el 2036 en la cantidad de $11.5 millones de dólares que salen del presupuesto anual del distrito. La liquidación de Mirant impuesta por orden de un tribunal le costará al Distrito Escolar Central de North Rockland $345 millones en capital e intereses. Esta deuda ha agotado las reservas del distrito y ha tenido un serio impacto en los propietarios de viviendas. Como residentes de North Rockland les instamos a ustedes, nuestros representantes elegidos, a ayudar a nuestro distrito con la promulgación de leyes que nos permita financiar esta deuda de impuestos certiorari."

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North Rockland Debt ReliefPetition Starter

The Decision Makers

Former State House of Representatives
2 Members
1 Responded
James Skoufis
Former State House of Representatives - New York-99
Dear North Rockland Parents & Taxpayers, First and foremost, thank you for your continued advocacy to address the Mirant debt issue and deliver relief to North Rockland. It is in large part because of your efforts we have been able to significantly raise the awareness of this crisis in the State Assembly. Every state representative (there are 213) thinks that their school districts face unique challenges and deserve extra attention but I have yet to discover a district with issues of similar magnitude to North Rockland. The closure of one power plant and the significant downsizing of another has crippled the tax base and, furthermore, left the district with a $220 million bond to pay of a tax certiorari. This is simply unprecedented. Hardly a day goes by where my colleague Ken Zebrowski and I do not discuss North Rockland. We have organized meetings between advocates and school district officials with Assembly leadership as well as staff from the Governor's office; we even took the significant step of voting against our own party's budget bill earlier this year that failed to include North Rockland in a power plant closure rebate program. You can view my remarks on the Assembly floor here: http://nyassembly.gov/mem/James-Skoufis/video/7172/#videos The good news is I believe we have convinced Assembly leadership to make North Rockland a top priority in the next legislative session and we are exploring every option to address the issue: everything from special state aid to more creative options such as adding a surcharge to Bear Mountain State Park that will go directly to the North Rockland CSD. Alongside my legislative colleagues, I frequently speak with school officials and Mirant Debt Relief advocates as we coordinate our efforts; we met as a group most recently three weeks ago. I will not stop until we deliver a solution for North Rockland. Sincerely and best regards, James James Skoufis Member of Assembly
Sandra R. Galef
Former State House of Representatives - New York-95
Former State Senate
3 Members
William J. Larkin Jr.
Former State Senate - New York-39
John Flanagan
Former State Senate - New York-2
Kathleen A. Marchione
Former State Senate - New York-43
Andrew M. Cuomo
Former Governor - New York
Kenneth Zebrowski
Former NY State Assembly Member
Carl Heastie
New York State Assembly - District 83

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Petition created on June 28, 2016