Conservative Party of New York State Recommends a NO Vote on 2023 Statewide Ballot Issues

Brooklyn, NY – The NYS Conservative Party is recommending a No vote on the two statewide ballot issues on the November 7, 2023 ballot, noted Chairman Gerard Kassar earlier today.  The Conservative Party has always considered the fiscal impact of ballot questions, in addition to impending serious need, and has concluded the fiscal impact of these two ballot questions exceed the long-term benefit and will place additional financial burdens on New York taxpayers.

Proposal Number One, An Amendment:

The proposed amendment to Article 8 section 4 of the Constitution removed the special constitutional debt limitation now placed on small city school districts, so they will be treated the same as all other school districts. Shall the proposed amendment be approved? 

Currently the small school districts are limited to 5% of the taxable real estate in the district (there are exceptions to certain expenses); this proposal could double the limit to 10%.  The Conservative Party recommends a NO vote.

Proposal Number Two, An Amendment:

The Constitution limits the debt counties, cities, towns and villages can incur.  This debt limit does not include debt for sewage treatment and disposal construction projects.  The sewer debt exception expires on January 1, 2024.  This amendment extends the sewer debt exception for ten more years until January 1, 2034. The proposal amends section 5 of article 8 of the Constitution. 

This indebtedness has occurred since 1962, renewed each time by a Constitutional Amendment allowing the legislature to prescribe the method by which and the terms and conditions under which the amount of any such indebtedness to be excluded shall be determined, and no such indebtedness shall be excluded except in accordance with such determination.  

Since indebtedness is left to the legislature, taxpayers have little to no control or knowledge as to the indebtedness they are incurring; there is no cap on the costs or what would need to be covered.  The Conservative Party recommends a NO vote.