“Gov. Cuomo is proposing that the state further shift its financial responsibility for Medicaid onto Counties. Although the Governor and Majority politicians in the Legislature are desperate to fill the $6 billion hole in the state budget, they should not do so at the expense of our County governments and more specifically our property owners.

“Undoubtedly, this shift would result in skyrocketing property taxes and single out one group of taxpayers to foot the bill for Albany’s mismanagement of its Medicaid program. This is following a decade where our state led the nation with 1.4 million residents lost because of the high tax and regulatory climate driving them out of our state. How long will it take for more of our neighbors to pack up their u-hauls and head south if this latest regressive tax comes to fruition?

“Instead, we need to address the pervasive fraud and abuse in New York’s Medicaid program. An estimated 433,000 New York residents receive benefits despite being above the income threshold allowed for the program- according to a study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

“It is my hope that members of the Legislature will join me in seeking the reforms necessary to clean up our state Medicaid program, as opposed to the standard tax-and-spend approach that led us to this budget crisis in the first place.”