Assemblyman Skoufis’ Mandate Relief Bill Passes Full Legislature

PRESS RELEASE FROM ASSEMBLYMAN SKOUFIS

Assemblyman James Skoufis (D-Woodbury) announced that the Assembly and Senate both passed legislation he authored to provide mandate relief to taxpayers by streamlining local assessor and tax collector offices.

“This measure, which I’ve spent four legislative sessions working to pass, will provide much-needed mandate relief to our communities,” Skoufis said. “Municipal employees ought to be spending their time on worthwhile, relevant work – not shackled to obsolete laws that serve no purpose. This legislation is a step in the right direction.”

Specifically, Skoufis’ legislation removes the antiquated requirement that assessors manually add what are called “bank codes” to each property’s file when processing mortgage escrow accounts (A.2438-A). Most banks have been sending these codes to tax collectors electronically and directly for many years but state law requires assessors to serve as a “middle-man” and continue spending countless hours on an unnecessary task. Skoufis’ legislation would remove the requirement that these codes be added by assessors, thereby saving municipalities time and money without impacting any services.

Skoufis’ legislation, carried by Sen. Bill Larkin in the Senate, passed both chambers and now heads to the Governor’s desk for approval.

  James Skoufis, senate legislation, skoufis